The Cricket World Cup 2023 final witnessed a surprising outcome as the Indian cricket team, who had been unbeaten in the tournament, suffered a defeat at the hands of Australia, a team they had previously defeated in the league stage. India was considered the favorites to win the tournament and end their 12-year wait for an ODI World Cup title, but it was the Australian team that emerged victorious. Gautam Gambhir, former Indian cricketer, expressed his disagreement with the notion that the best team did not win the World Cup, contrary to what some experts have been saying.
Despite many believing that the Indian team was the best side in the tournament, Gambhir holds a different opinion. He dismissed the idea that the Indian team’s solitary defeat in the final prevented them from winning the title. In a chat on Sportskeeda, Gambhir stated, “A lot of people might not like it. I heard some of the experts saying that the best team has not gone on to win the World Cup. That’s absolutely not true. That’s one of the bizarre statements that I have heard. It’s actually the best team that has won the World Cup. Let’s be honest.”
Gambhir pointed out that India had won 10 matches and were in excellent form, making them the favorites. However, Australia had also won eight consecutive games after losing the first two. Gambhir emphasized that only the best team can win the World Cup and that it cannot be defined based on India’s ten victories and one poor performance. He explained, “The reality is the semi-final and the final were the knockout matches. It did not matter whether you finished first or fourth [in the league stage].”
In comparison to India, Australia won 7 out of their 9 matches in the league stage of the World Cup. They secured their spot in the final by comprehensively defeating South Africa in the semi-final. Gambhir acknowledged the difficulty of winning crucial matches, stating, “It is easy to win six out of eight league matches. Winning two out of two when you know any mistake can cost you is difficult. Let’s accept that the best team has gone on to win the World Cup. India did not play well, let’s not run away from reality,” he concluded.
In conclusion, Gambhir believes that the Australian team, despite their fewer victories in the league stage, deserved to win the Cricket World Cup 2023. He dismissed the notion that India’s strong performance throughout the tournament should overshadow their defeat in the final.
