Australia win Cricket World Cup for record sixth time after stunning ...

Travis Head has produced an innings for the ages to lead Australia to a sixth Cricket World Cup crown, beating India by six wickets in the final.

Chasing 241 for victory in Ahmedabad on Sunday (Monday NZT), Head hit 137 to help lead Australia out of early trouble and to a comfortable win with seven overs to spare over the previously-undefeated hosts.

His runs came as part of a 192-run fourth-wicket stand with Marnus Labuschagne, who struck a controlled 58 off 110 by turning the strike over and letting Head star.

Together the pair helped silence a rocking Narendra Modi Stadium, after the previously-unbeaten hosts had Australia 47-3 and staring down the barrel of collapse.

But just when it appeared Australia could fall apart after Steve Smith failed to review his lbw when a Jasprit Bumrah ball hit him outside off stump, Head and Labuschagne kept their composure.

Rafiq Maqbool/AP

Australia's players celebrate with the trophy after beating hosts India in the Cricket World Cup final.

They were able to wrestle back control of the match by regularly finding singles, never being tied down by the spinners while barely taking any risks.

Getting desperate, India brought back Bumrah and Mohammad Shami in the 24th and 28th overs.

Both times, Head responded by hitting the first deliveries of their spells to the rope and taking any tension out of the situation.

The left-hander brought up his hundred off 95 balls, accelerating as the innings went on and taking complete command of the match.

Rafiq Maqbool/AP

Australia's Travis Head hits out on his way to a match-winning 137 in the Cricket World Cup final.

He also slog-swept both Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yavav for sixes, hitting four in total as well as 15 fours.

Head was eventually caught on the boundary trying to finish the game, allowing Glenn Maxwell to slog the winning runs off his first ball.

The title comes after a year when Australia have retained the Ashes in England and beaten India in the World Test Championship final.

“This pips it all, this is top of the top of the mountain,” captain Pat Cummins said.

“It will be a year we remember for a long, long time. It's been awesome.

Mahesh Kumar A./AP

Travis Head takes off his helmet after bringing up his century at Ahmedabad.

“We've spent the whole Aussie winter away overseas playing playing. But we've had a lot of success.”

Australia's 1999 triumph is widely considered the most remarkable of their World Cup wins, after overcoming a sluggish start to the tournament in England.

But this campaign should be considered as close to its equal.

Australia were soundly beaten by India and South Africa in the opening week, and axed wicketkeeper Alex Carey after one game.

Selectors made the call to keep Head in the squad despite nursing a fractured hand back home, while Labuschagne was only brought into the group on Ashton Agar's calf injury.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks past the World Cup trophy after the hosts lost the final.

Coaches were unable to pick their first-choice XI until the semifinal stage, by which point Australia had won seven straight games to qualify.

Then in the final, they were forced to play on a slow, previously-used wicket in front of more than 100,000 passionate India fans.

And despite it all, they thoroughly outplayed a red-hot India in all departments.

“That's just the belief that's in the squad,” seamer Josh Hazlewood, who took 2-60, said.

“This is bigger than (the last triumph in) 2015. We won that at home in front of our home fans.

Rafiq Maqbool/AP

Travis Head takes a stunning diving catch to remove India's captain Rohit Sharma.

“But the challenges we've been through the last couple of months, coming here, playing in these conditions against India, who are a pretty special team.

“Getting the win on a day like this is amazing.”

Cummins' captaincy was superb, making the bold call to bowl after winning the toss and banking on batting with the dew at night.

He got his fields right, regularly changed bowlers at the right time and pegged India back after they were 80-2 following the first 10 overs.

Aijaz Rahi/AP

Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrates taking the crucial wicket of Indian superstar Virat Kohli.

From then on, the hosts only hit four more boundaries.

The captain also took 2-34, becoming the first quick in the tournament to bowl 10 boundary-free overs, while bowling Virat Kohli for 54 in the process.

Australia's fielding was also far superior, headlined by a Head catch running back at point to change the match when he removed Rohit Sharma for 47 off 31 balls off Maxwell's bowling.

Mitchell Starc also removed Shubman Gill early and KL Rahul (66) late to finish with 3-55 as India were bowled out on the last ball of the innings.

AAP