India’s impressive performance in the 2023 World Cup was unfortunately not enough to secure the trophy, as they lost to Australia in the final. Despite a dominant 10-match winning streak, including victories over their nemesis New Zealand, India fell short in the ultimate showdown. Australia emerged victorious, clinching their sixth World Cup title with a win by six wickets on the final boundary.
India’s performance in the World Cup, although not resulting in a victory, was undeniably the best ever witnessed by a team. The cricket played by the Men in Blue throughout the 45-day tournament was truly unmatched. According to former captain Sunil Gavaskar, it is crucial for the team to reflect upon and learn from the mistakes made on Sunday, November 19, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India underestimated the prevailing conditions, and their downfall began after the dismissal of captain Rohit Sharma, who had a remarkable start. Subsequently, the remaining batsmen crumbled under pressure. Despite commendable half-centuries from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, India’s total of 240 proved insufficient as Travis Head achieved the target with a century in just 43 overs.
Gavaskar emphasizes the need for India to address the tough questions and take significant measures after yet another defeat in the ICC tournament knockouts. Despite being a dominant force in T20 cricket with the IPL, India has failed to secure a T20 World Cup victory since the inaugural edition 16 years ago. This is a concerning trend that requires immediate rectification. Gavaskar stresses the importance of acknowledging and learning from the mistakes made in the final. While solidarity is commendable, progress will be hindered if errors are not accepted. In the upcoming weeks, crucial decisions will need to be made by individuals and the selection committee. Gavaskar expresses disappointment over India’s inability to clinch the T20 World Cup since 2007, considering the valuable experience gained by its players and young talents through the IPL. This issue is discussed in Gavaskar’s column in Mid-Day.
Over the past decade, India has been a consistently strong team in international cricket. Despite their unbeaten run in the 2015 World Cup, they suffered a defeat to Australia in the semi-finals. Similarly, in the 2019 edition, they lost only one league game before falling to New Zealand in the semi-finals. In addition to these losses, India also faced a semi-final exit against West Indies in the T20 World Cup, defeat in two World Test Championship finals, and the painful memories of the Champions Trophy final. However, Sunil Gavaskar praised the team’s performance and expressed confidence that they will bounce back stronger from these disappointing results. “Although it was disappointing that India did not win the World Cup, we must move on. In the last four World Cups, India has reached the final twice, winning once, and reached the semi-finals on the other two occasions. This is a fantastic performance when compared to other teams, with only Australia having won two trophies,” Gavaskar emphasized.