The reverberations of Team India’s World Cup final loss to Australia still linger, leaving a sting of disappointment. Even after a couple of days, the pain endures, particularly because India didn’t succumb to a superior team. The squad entered the final with an impressive 10-match winning streak, showcasing exemplary performances from both batsmen and bowlers. However, the slow pitch in Ahmedabad seemed to be the catalyst for India’s downfall.
Following Rohit Sharma’s quickfire 47, the scoring pace plummeted, and the batsmen faced a collective struggle. Boundaries dwindled to just four fours in 40-odd overs. While some fervent fans might attribute the team’s eventual downfall to KL Rahul’s 107-ball 66 or Shubman Gill’s failure to provide a solid start, the reality is that it was simply an off day for the players.
Despite the final setback, the team’s overall performance throughout the tournament has garnered recognition on the global stage. Monty Panesar, the former England spinner currently in the country for the Legends League Cricket, expressed his sentiments in an exclusive interaction with Insidesport.
“There was a high hype around India doing well in this tournament, and they have delivered by playing the best cricket overall,” Panesar remarked. “There should be nothing taken away from the players. I know how desperate India is to win an ICC Trophy, but everyone should just be admiring the brand of cricket the country has managed to play. They can’t lose sight of that. It was one bad game, that too in the final. Unfortunate. But let’s be honest, India was the side, hands down, who played the best cricket.”
