Ahmedabad: India head coach Rahul Dravid hailed Rohit Sharma the captain after the Men in Blue lost the ODI World Cup 2023 final to Australia by six wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. Chasing 242 to win, Australia rode on a match-winning 137 from Travis Head to romp home in 43 overs. Australia thus won a record-extending sixth World Cup title, stretching their dominance in the tournament that started way back in 1975.
The Indian captain led by example in the whole tournament right from the first match. Under Rohit’s leadership India finished the league stage with an all-win record before pummeling New Zealand in the semifinals.
“Rohit has been an exceptional leader. He has got the dressing room. He is always available for any conversation. He’s always committed. He has given a lot of time and energy to this campaign. Even his batting, he has always set the tone for us. He wanted to lead by example. I can’t speak more highly of him,” Dravid said during the post-match press conference.
Put in to bat, India ended up with a below-par 240 despite contributions from Rohit Sharma (47 off 31 balls), Virat Kohli (54 off 63) and K L Rahul (66 off 107). Just like his performance in the WTC final against India in June, Travis Head made a match-winning 137 off 120 balls as Australia chased down the target in 43 overs.
Indian hopes were raised when Australia lost three wickets for 47 but a 192-run partnership between Head and Marnus Labuschagne (58 not out) shut the door on the opposition. Australia’s brilliant bowling and fielding also went a long way in their emphatic win. The dew in the evening also made batting easier on a slow and dry surface.
India, who were the only unbeaten side going into the final after 10 wins on the trot, fell flat in the final hurdle. Their last world title came way back in 2011 and their last ICC trophy was the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.
Dravid, who was a part of the Indian team that went down to Australia in 2003 World Cup final, stated it was very hard for him to see the worn-out faces in the dressing room. “The boys are disappointed. There are a lot of emotions in the dressing room. It was tough to see them as a coach. You get to see their sacrifices and the effort they have put.
“I am sure the sun will come up tomorrow morning, we will reflect and learn from it. If you don’t go through such matches then you won’t enjoy the highs,” he added. Notably, Rahul’s contract as an India head coach is till the World Cup.
Like Rohit, Dravid also felt India were few runs short. “We were 30-40 runs short. They bowled really well. The ball was stopping in the afternoon. There was not a lot of dew but it came better under the lights. We didn’t get those boundaries and kept losing wickets at critical intervals.
“If he had got to 280-290, it would have been a different game. They batted really well. Travis Head batted exceptionally well,” he said. Asked about his future, Rahul is still undecided. “I haven’t thought about it. I have had no time to reflect on this. I will, when I get time. I was just focused on this World Cup,” he added.
