India lost to Australia in the Cricket World Cup 2023 final© AFP
Former Indian cricket team batter Gautam Gambhir was not pleased with the approach taken by Rohit Sharma and Co while batting in the Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. India were all out for 240 and in response, Travis Head played a phenomenal knock to guide the Aussies to a record-extending sixth World Cup title. Gambhir pointed out that it is the ‘most courageous’ team who have the advantage in games like the World Cup final and the Indian batters were not aggressive or courageous in their approach after a good start.
“I have always maintained this – the most courageous team will go on to win the World Cup. I can understand that for some time you want to build a partnership. But 11-40 overs is a very long period of time. India should have accelerated and taken a risk at that stage,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda
“I actually would have liked India going really aggressive with the top six, seven batters. Even if they got all out for 150, I would have been fine. But you scored 240 and thought you can fight. In World Cup finals, you don’t fight – it has to be either this way or that way. That is the approach I would have taken. Either we go 150 all out or 300. That is what India has lacked and this is why India has not gone on to win ICC tournaments,” the former Indian cricket team opener added.
Rohit scored a quickfire 47 to provide a brilliant foundation for the Indian batters but a sluggish run rate meant that despite Virat Kohli and KL Rahul‘s half-centuries, they failed to post a competitive total.
“Probably Rohit should have sent that message before the start of the game that even if I get out, we are going aggressive. Virat’s role is to anchor the innings from one end, but rest all the other batters go hard. If you are able to take five singles in an over, that is also called positive cricket. But, if you are playing 4-5 dot balls in an over, the game is going nowhere.”
“If Virat was in, KL should have gone. He should have said that, I am going to take those risks. We might have got out for 150, but imagine if we were brave and had scored 310, you could have won the World Cup. India were not brave enough, courageous enough and that’s where we lost the finals,” Gambhir concluded.
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