India showcased a dominant performance, clinching a resounding 99-run victory against Australia and firmly securing a 2-0 lead, cementing their position as the world's No. 1 ranked side heading into the ODI World Cup.
To attain this top ranking, the Men in Blue needed to emerge victorious in this series, a task they successfully accomplished even before the final game. Additionally, India can significantly widen this lead over arch-rivals Pakistan, who currently hold the second position, with a potential 3-0 clean sweep in the upcoming Wednesday match.
Intriguingly, there are patterns that seem to be emerging in favour of India concerning the ODI World Cup. In the last three editions, the host nation emerged as the ultimate victor - India in 2011, Australia in 2015, and England in 2019. In addition, India's top rank has sparked a wave of speculation on social media, with netizens drawing parallels between India's current position and that of Australia and England, who held the No.1 ODI ranking when they triumphed in the World Cup in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
As history often tends to repeat itself, Indian fans are filled with optimism, hoping these trends align for the Men in Blue to secure the World Cup at home, marking their first ICC trophy in over a decade.
Intriguingly, India played this crucial clash without several key players, including Virat Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Hardik Pandya, and pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohd Siraj, all of whom are certain inclusions in the final XI for the World Cup.
It appears that the Men in Blue are hitting their peak at precisely the right moment, and with the World Cup just days away, Indian fans are anxiously hoping for the team to sustain this momentum.
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