Mohammed Shami’s mother falls ill while watching IND vs AUS World Cup final, rushed to hospital: Report

India were facing Australia in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad when Shami’s mother, praying with many others in the village, suddenly fell ill. She complained of nervousness and fever. The relatives and friends of Shami did not waste time and rushed her to a local hospital. After basic treatment, she was transferred to a better health centre. As per the latest updates, her condition is now stable.

“She was admitted to the hospital due to fever and nervousness. Now, her condition is normal.” Shami’s cousin Dr Mumtaz told The Times of India.

It was a festive-like atmosphere in different parts of Amroha in the lead-up to the final. Their own boy, Shami, had played a major role in taking India to a World Cup final. There were giant screens set up in the village and in other parts of Amroha to watch the right-arm pacer take on the Australians.

But as soon as Australia started to dominate the proceedings in the final, the mood changed. Loud cheers slowly made way for prayers. The Indian batters crumbled under relentless Aussie pressure and could only manage 240. The grim faces in Amroha got a lift when Shami provided India the breakthrough by removing David Warner in his first over. The noise was back when Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in quick succession to remove Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith but as soon the partnership between Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne started to build, the tension rose again.

Even desperate attempts from Shami, the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 24 scalps – the most by an Indian in the history of World Cups – and India’s pace spearhead, Bumrah were not enough to break the partnership.

Head (137) was finally dismissed off what proved to be the next-to-last ball of the match, caught in the deep while attempting to hit a title-clinching boundary. In came Glenn Maxwell and he ran two off his first ball, securing a victory that prompted fireworks above the world’s largest cricket venue.

“We were not good enough today,” India skipper Rohit Sharma said. “We tried everything, but it didn’t work. We needed 20-30 more runs – we were looking at 270-280 but we kept losing wickets. When you have 240 on the board, you want to keep taking wickets. We took three, but credit to Head and Labuschagne for their partnership. We couldn’t open up the game.”

Kohli finished with 765 runs in 11 games with an average of 95.62. He was named player of the tournament.

The final, though, belonged to Head who was named man of the match. He became only the seventh player to score a century in a men’s World Cup final – and the third Australian after Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist – and he also delivered a significant moment in India’s innings when taking a diving catch running back from cover to remove Sharma (47).

Head’s ton saw him join an illustrious list, which includes West Indies’ Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, as well as Sri Lanka’s Aravinda de Silva and Mahela Jayawardene. Ponting’s 140* had also helped Australia beat India in the 2003 final. Jayawardene’s century is the only one in a losing cause with India winning the 2011 final.

“What an amazing day, I’m just thrilled to be a part of it,” Head said. “It’s a lot better than sitting on the couch at home.”