Vikas Pandey
Reporting from Delhi

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It was not long ago that Glenn Maxwell played the innings of his lifetime - described by experts as "the best ODI knock of all times".

Australia were reduced to 91-7 while chasing Afghanistan's 292. A defeat would have made it difficult for them to qualify for the semi-finals.

He had bad cramp issues and could barely run. At one point he struggled to even move his feet. But far from giving up, he kept fighting. The batter finally took his side home with an undefeated knock of 201 runs off just 128 balls.

He is certainly a dangerous opponent for India.

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Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among the audiences.

Soutik Biswas
Reporting from Delhi

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Indian fans are especially praying for Mohammed Shami, the sultan of swing, to continue with his dream run. The 33-year-old pacer has become the first Indian bowler to take 50 World Cup wickets in a mere 17 innings, quickest in the history of the tournament.

In Wednesday’s semi-final, the skilful mover of the ball tormented New Zealand with guile and speed to pick up an astonishing seven wickets for 57, the best by an Indian in a World Cup.

But a month ago, Shami wasn't even part of the playing XI. In a delicious twist of fate, he replaced star all-rounder Hardik Pandya after the latter’s injury in the match against Bangladesh.

Now, with an impressive haul of 23 wickets in six games, he stands on the brink of making this World Cup uniquely his own in today final showdown.

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In between all the colour and excitement, we'll also focus on some of the cricketers you'll be watching today - starting with Australia's David Warner.

The batter is hugely popular in India, having played in 14 seasons of the Indian Premier League. He also regularly posts dance videos from Telugu films on social media and replicates those moves on the field.

In Australia, reception towards him is more mixed.

But in this World Cup campaign, while teammates have had a mixed record, Warner has been hugely energetic. He has been hurling himself into innings, attacking bowling with the confidence of old, hitting the roofs of stadiums, sprinting runs, and setting the fielding standard in the deep.

It is the best he has batted in years.

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A day after the teams battle it out on the field, Indian and Australian ministers will meet in Delhi for a 2+2 dialogue of defence and foreign ministers. We don't know yet which side will be congratulating the other for winning the Cup!

But we do know that Richard Marles, Australia's deputy prime minister and minister for defence, will be among those watching the match in Ahmedabad today.

Morning papers in India are full of anticipation for the match.

"An Era-Defining Final," headlines The Times of India. “Rohit Sharma’s all-conquering India are hungry for the elusive piece of silverware. Standing in the way is a steely Australian outfit rich with pedigree,” the newspaper writes.

Other headlines riff about the jersey colours of India and Australia. "Blue hounds hunt Cup," says The Telegraph. "Will blue be the new yellow?" wonders The Indian Express.

Acknowledging that India are in top form, experts are also reminding that they are up against five-time champion Australia.

This Indian team, writes former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir in The Telegraph, is “like a bloodhound, unconquered and restless. Still one can only write off Australia at one’s own peril: they have got their winning mojo back”.

In Hindustan Times, Rahul Bhattacharya writes: “Yes, India is looking spiffy, but don’t forget the other guy. He is flexing now, and claims he can win World Cups from sheer muscle memory.”

Excitement has been building up outside the stadium in Ahmedabad since India made it to the final earlier this week.

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Today’s match will be the 14th time India and Australia take each other head-on in a World Cup game. And Australia have the overall edge - they have won eight times to India’s five.

The only time the two teams faced each other in a World Cup final was in Johannesburg in 2003, when Ricky Ponting’s side won by a massive 125 runs.

But Rohit Sharma’s men look unlikely to let the weight of history hang over them. They have already defeated Australia decisively once in this tournament, and will be looking to repeat that triumph.

Nitin Srivastava
Reporting from Ahmedabad

Winning the toss will be a crucial factor at the final - whoever wins the toss is likely to bat to avoid the pressures of chasing a big score. Also, the pitch seems to have been well rolled out, flat and without much grass, which could favour batters.

But remember, the last three ODI World Cup finals have been won by teams chasing a score!

Soutik Biswas
Reporting from Delhi

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The last India-Australia World Cup final face-off in 2003 didn’t go well for India and on Sunday, they’ll aim to redeem themselves from the humiliation inflicted by Australia.

The Ricky Ponting-led team was missing Steve Waugh and Shane Warne, and yet routed India by 125 runs. Ponting had led from the front, scoring an unbeaten 140 and helping Australia amass 359 runs for the loss of two wickets in 50 overs.

Despite a swashbuckling 82 by Virender Sehwag, India were all out at 234 with more than 10 overs to spare.

Australia didn’t lose a single game that World Cup. Rohit Sharma’s India are hoping it will be the same when they take on Australia today.

... the Indian Railways is running special trains from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

Cricket fans have made a beeline for Ahmedabad this weekend. But finding a place to stay wouldn't have been easy.

Like with the India-Pakistan match last month, hotel room prices had soared in anticipation - some reports said even fans who had booked rooms in October had to pay double as hotels bet on India making it to the final.

Hotel rooms near the stadium have been almost sold out and reports say some luxury hotels are even charging close to 200,000 rupees ($2,400; £1,940) for a night. Flight ticket prices for Saturday and Sunday from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru to Ahmedabad have also soared in the run-up to the final.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport in Ahmedabad

With a few hours to go before the match, it’s relatively quiet outside our hotel in Ahmedabad.

That will not be the same at the stadium later if the amount of horns on sale outside the ground is anything to go by.

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is in Ahmedabad to watch the final. He was part of the last Indian squad to win a World Cup in 2011. On arrival at the airport, he said he had come "bearing good wishes" and hoped the team will lift the trophy today.

Dancers have been rehearsing for performances that will be held during the closing ceremony after the match.

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The Indian and Australian teams held practice sessions at the stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

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With the stakes so high, fans are not leaving anything to chance. Across the country, many are offering special prayers for the team's victory, seeking some divine help.

Vikas Pandey
Reporting from Delhi

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It’s going to be a contest between two well balanced sides. India’s fierce bowling squad, which includes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammad Siraj, will face in-form Australian batters like David Warner, Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh. But the visitors will again be betting big on Glenn Maxwell, who single-handedly won the match against Afghanistan and helped Australia reach the finals.

Australia’s bowling attack is led by captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and spinner Adam Zampa. The hosts will look to neutralise the Australian attack with in-form captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill leading the batting department. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav are also in peak form. With the two sides having so much quality, it’s most likely going to be a high-octane game.

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On Sunday, all eyes will be on Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, the venue of the World Cup final clash.

Spread across 63 acres and with a field size of 180X150 yards, the stadium is named after India’s prime minister. It can seat 132,000 people - that’s 42,000 more than Melbourne Cricket Ground, the world’s second biggest which can accommodate 90,000 spectators.

But it’s not just the size that makes the Ahmedabad stadium unique. It is also the ground where several historic records have been set. It was here that Sunil Gavaskar scored 10,000 runs in 1986-87 to become the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. It was also here that Kapil Dev took his 432nd wicket to become the highest wicket taker in Test cricket.

Will Sunday’s match provide the stadium with more historic moments to add to its hall of fame?

Soutik Biswas
Reporting from Delhi

Sunday could be redemption day.

Never before in the history of World Cup have fans seen such a domineering Indian team, winning 10 matches, including a knockout game, on the trot.

By beginning as firm favourites, India will look to break the jinx today.