The Indian cricket team’s loss in the Cricket World Cup final is still a painful memory for fans. Despite performing exceptionally well until the semi-finals under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the team failed to secure the ultimate victory. With Virat Kohli being the best batter and Mohammed Shami the best bowler in the tournament, it seemed that India had all the necessary ingredients for success. However, on November 19, Australia emerged as the winners, breaking the hearts of a billion fans.
Kapil Dev, the first captain to lead India to victory in the ODI Cricket World Cup, had a message for the Indian cricket team. He acknowledged their efforts and said, “Today’s cricketers, sorry they couldn’t win the World Cup, but they played well. I know in our mind, winning is everything. But the way of play is more important. Other people had also come here to play. Other people played better (on the) last day. We should respect that.” Dev emphasized the importance of respecting the performance of the opposition and encouraged the team to learn from their experience.
Reflecting on the match, India managed to score 240 runs in their 50 overs. On a challenging batting surface, Rohit Sharma (47 runs in 31 balls), Virat Kohli (54 runs in 63 balls), and KL Rahul (66 runs in 107 balls) made valuable contributions. Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler for Australia, taking three wickets for 55 runs. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood also performed well, taking two wickets each, while Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell claimed one wicket each.
During the chase, India had the Australians struggling at 47/3. However, knocks from Travis Head (137 runs in 120 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (58 runs in 110 balls) led them to a six-wicket victory, leaving the Indian team without answers.
After the match, Rohit Sharma openly admitted that the team did not play their best cricket. He said, “The result has not gone our way. We were not good enough today. We tried everything we could but I feel the wicket got slightly better to bat under lights. Don’t want to give that as an excuse. We knew under lights it would be slightly better to bat, but don’t want to give that as an excuse. We didn’t put enough runs on the board. With the seamers upfront, we took those 3 wickets and another wicket there, we could open up the game. Credit to those two guys in the middle for stitching an outstanding partnership.”
Despite the disappointment, Dev urged the team to learn from their mistakes and strive for improvement in the future. The loss in the final may have been heartbreaking, but it serves as a lesson for the Indian cricket team to grow and excel in the future.
