India look to cap dream run with World Cup glory today

For Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, India's 1983 World Cup victory acted as the catalyst that sparked a cricketing dream.

India's appearance in the 2003 World Cup final may have buoyed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, KL Rahul and other seniors in the current team. Ditto for young Shubman Gill after the triumph in 2011. Beyond the here and now, this is what Sunday, with 132,000 people cheering at the cavernous Narendra Modi Stadium, will do for future generations wanting to take up the game. Dreams will be kindled, heroes will be worshipped, and lasting legacies will be carved.

After 45 days and 47 matches, the final of the ODI World Cup is here. One with 48 years of history and six different champions. One that seems to still hold resonance for the players despite what critics may say. And between two teams, India and Australia, that have jostled with intensity to make this the cricket rivalry of this century. They are the most successful teams in this competition - Australia have won it five times and India have triumphed twice, like the West Indies.