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Team India's winning momentum came to a screeching halt as they lost to Australia by six wickets in the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
All roads led to Ahmedabad as almost one lakh fans turned up for the summit clash. But as fate had, the Men in Blue went down shockingly to extend their wait for an ICC trophy since 2013.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins chose to bowl first on a slow wicket much to everyone's surprise. Rohit Sharma once again provided a fiery start but as the wicket got slower, the hosts lost control of the match.
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Virat Kohli and KL Rahul scored half-centuries but India consumed a lot of deliveries in the middle overs and could only muster 240 runs in 50 overs.
In response, Australia had a wobbly start and were reduced to 47/3. But they recovered well to put the home side out of the contest. Travis Head (137) and Marnus Labuschagne (58*) added 192 runs for the fourth wicket to set up the Men in Yellow's sixth ODI World Cup title.
The defeat was too much to take for Indian fans and experts alike. On that note, let's take a look at the top five expert reactions to India's six-wicket defeat to Australia in the final.
#1 "I wish India prepared a better pitch and not gone with a timid approach" - Shoaib Akhtar
The pitch used at the Narendra Modi Stadium for the ODI World Cup final surprised many, including former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar.
Akhtar, in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, wished India prepared a better wicket for the all-important game.
"India did not reach the final by luck," Akhtar said. "They made it to the final by playing brilliantly. However, I was quite disappointed with the pitch used for the game. I wish India prepared a better pitch and not gone with a timid approach. Had there been more bounce and pace, the toss would not have played such a big role."
#2 "India conceded a point right at the start" - Aakash Chopra slams the hosts for their choice of wicket
Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra also echoed similar sentiments and reckoned that the Men in Blue's defensive approach came back to haunt them in the end.
"I feel India conceded a point right at the start," Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel. "India probably would have had the choice of pitch they wanted to play on. The Indian team chose the black-soil pitch, where there will be a lot of help for spin. However, the starting point was probably slightly defensive."
"We shouldn't have even needed to think about the sort of pitch we should have played on against Australia," he added. "If you get to bat first, the pitch shouldn't be one that doesn't allow you to play with freedom. When you chose a dry black-soil pitch, you get stuck in your own web, if you think in that way."
#3 "There's no shame in losing to a better team" - Sunil Gavaskar
Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar showered praise on Rohit Sharma and company for giving joy to millions of fans throughout the World Cup. He also asserted that Australia were the better team in the final and there was no shame in losing to the six-time champions.
"This time a couple of things that could have gone their way, which didn't happen, so that's fine," Gavaskar said on Star Sports. "That is how luck can go against you. But like I said there's no shame in losing to a better team. A team that was better on the day, just like India was better on the day of the first match.
"There's no shame in losing to the five-time champions. They know how to win the finals. Very proud of all the effort that they've done, very proud of the joy that they have given millions who have been following them," he added.
#4 "We probably didn't have our best game and credit to Australia" - Rahul Dravid
Team India's head coach has set the right standards throughout his tenure as the head coach. Every time the team lost, he came out to speak to the media and back his players and Sunday was no different.
Addressing reporters, Dravid lauded the players for the brand of cricket they played throughout the World Cup. When asked about the loss, he said that it was one bad day in the business.
“Really proud of the boys, the way we played right through this tournament, just the quality of cricket that we played I thought was quite exceptional," Dravid said. "I think we gave everything we had in this tournament. So really proud of the team, proud of all the boys, proud of the support staff.
"I think we ran a really good campaign. Just at the last step in the final, we probably didn't have our best game and credit to Australia," Dravid added.
#5 "India's four bowlers not being able to bat that well came back to haunt them" - Nasser Hussain
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain reckoned that India's long tail came back to haunt them in the all-important final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
"India are still a great side - but the pitch brought Australia into it," Hussain told Sky Sports. "India's four bowlers not being able to bat that well came back to haunt them. That's why Rahul and Kohli couldn't go hard. They were worried about Shami at No 8."
Where do you think India fell short in the ODI World Cup final? Let us know in the comment section.
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