After Australia won the ODI World Cup 2023 against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, former England cricketer Michael Vaughan said that the umpire Richard Kettleborough should have been the ‘Star of the Match’ in the final game of the tournament. Speaking in a podcast called ‘Club Prairie Fire’, Vaughan said that Aussie opener Travis Head was a key candidate for the star of the match. He also added that Australia skipper Pat Cummins impressed him with his captaincy.
Vaughan referred to the incident when Labuschagne was given not out off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling. India went for the DRS, but it was umpire’s call on wicket hitting.
While concluding, Vaughan praised Kettleborough and said that he had a great game at Narendra Modi Stadium. “I think you are right. Travis Head was obviously a key candidate. I think you are right, Pat Cummins, for me, his captaincy was remarkable, that mid-play when he changed the bowler every over to not let KL Rahul and Virat Kohli settle, and then he came on and got Virat Kohli out. My star has to be Richard Kettleborough, the umpire, he has to be. He has a great game. If his finger would have gone up…,” Vaughan said.
In the final match of the tournament, India struggled on a tough batting surface after Australia elected to field first, with fifties coming from KL Rahul (66) and Virat Kohli (54). The ‘Men in Blue’ were bundled out for 240 in their 50 overs.
In the chase of 241 runs, Travis Head (137) and Marnus Labuschagne (58*) guided Australia to their sixth WC title.
