- By Manik Sharma
- Mon, 20 Nov 2023 07:17 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
World Cup 2023 Final: Rohit Sharma-led Team India suffered a heart-breaking loss against Australia in the finals of the Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, in front of 130,000 home supporters.
In the aftermath of the World Cup final against Australia, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma openly admitted that his team, particularly the batting unit, did not meet the mark. During the post-match presentation, Rohit expressed a sense of pride in the team's efforts but acknowledged that they fell short on the crucial day. He specifically mentioned that an additional 20-30 runs would have made a significant difference.
"The result hasn't gone our way and we know that we were not good enough on the day. But I am proud of the team. Honestly, 20-30 runs (more) would've been good. We didn't bat well enough,” Rohit said.
Australia restricted India to a below-par total of 240 on a challenging pitch after winning the toss. Australia successfully chased down the target in 43 overs, securing a six-wicket victory and clinching their sixth 50-over world title.
Rohit revealed that the team had set a target however, the team kept losing wickets, preventing them from achieving the desired total.
“I thought when KL and Virat were batting, we were looking at 270-280 at that point but we kept losing wickets,” Rohit said.
He credited Australia for their stellar performance, particularly highlighting the impactful partnership between Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, which effectively put India out of the game.
“Australia stitched a big partnership after losing three wickets. With 240 on the board, we wanted early wickets but credit to Travis Head and Marnus. They put us completely out of the game,” Rohit added.
The Indian skipper also addressed the conditions, stating that the team knew the pitch would play differently under lights. However, he refrained from using it as an excuse for their subpar performance.
“I thought the wicket got better to bat under lights. I mean we knew it would be under lights, but I don't want to give that as an excuse. But credit to those two guys (Head and Labuschagne) in the middle for stitching that big partnership for the Aussies,” Rohit concluded.