Image-ICC
India vs Australia World Cup Final: In the highly anticipated World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia, India’s quest for an ICC title for the senior men’s team faced a major setback with a heart-breaking defeat.
Pat Cummins, leading the Australian team, orchestrated their most clinical performance of the tournament in the final showdown at the Narendra Modi Stadium. As Cummins had expressed on the eve of the final, his team managed to silence the packed stadium with an exemplary display, extending India’s decade-long drought of an ICC title for the senior men’s team.
India vs Australia World Cup Final: ICC CWC 2023
Australia’s dominance in the final was evident across all facets of the game—batting, bowling, and fielding. Despite India’s stellar performance in the preceding matches, where they won all 10 games, the hosts found themselves outplayed on the grand stage. The defeat left India pondering missed opportunities and what could have been after a month-and-a-half of utterly dominating cricket.
Also Read: India vs Australia World Cup Final
2 pivotal mistakes by India in the World Cup final were instrumental in their loss:
Lack of intent and boundaries
The first major issue was India’s struggle to maintain momentum and the lack of aggressive intent, particularly in the middle overs. After a promising start provided by Rohit Sharma, the batting duo of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul failed to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Surprisingly, India managed to hit only four boundaries in the last 40 overs of their innings. ESPNcricinfo’s statistics revealed that during the middle overs, there were just nine attempts to hit boundaries from Indian batters in 180 balls, with only two of them succeeding.
This conservative approach, coupled with Australia’s relentless bowling and exceptional fielding, meant that India couldn’t apply the necessary pressure. In a format where boundaries are crucial, India’s hesitancy to take risks proved costly. The final total of 240, while competitive, fell short in a venue like Ahmedabad, where batting tends to be more manageable in the evening.
Image-Associated Press
Bowling strategy
Another crucial mistake was the deviation from the successful bowling strategy employed throughout the tournament. For the first time, Mohammed Siraj, who had been effective with the new ball, did not open the bowling. According to India vs Australia World Cup Final instead, the responsibility was given to Shami, who initially found success by dismissing Warner on the first ball.
However, as the innings progressed, it became evident that taking the new ball away from Siraj neutralized his ability to pick up wickets, especially when the ball was swinging and moving. Shami, who had found success as the first-change bowler in the tournament, struggled to control excessive swing and seam movement, conceding extras early in Australia’s chase. This change in the bowling order proved to be a significant factor in India’s inability to contain Australia and ultimately cost them the World Cup title.
Also Read: India vs Australia World Cup Final
Get ICC World Cup 2023 Live Score & ICC World Cup 2023 Team Squads along with ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.