India’s World Cup 2023 journey
A heartbreaking finish followed, and understanding five turning points in the final reveals how the dream of ending the 12-year ICC trophy drought came to an end.
It all started with the toss, as luck favored Australia and Rohit Sharma’s wish to bat first came true. Considering the pitch condition and dew, Pat Cummins chose to bowl. Despite Rohit’s desire to bat strongly, the decision did not go in India’s favour, leading to a challenging match.
The first turning point came with the wicket of Rohit Sharma. The captain’s aggressive start ended prematurely at 47, giving Australia a chance to make a comeback. Captain Pat Cummins’ strategic move of bringing in Glenn Maxwell for the last over of the power play proved fruitful as Rohit’s attempted big shot resulted in a catch by Travis Head.
Virat Kohli’s dismissal emerged as the most important turning point. With Rohit’s departure, the responsibility fell on Kohli’s shoulders. However, the course of the game changed after Kohli was out on 54 runs. KL Rahul also struggled to score runs quickly and the game swung in Australia’s favour.
The third turning point also included the match-winning innings of Travis Head. Chasing 241, Australia faced early trouble at 47 for 3. A crucial partnership with Head and Marnus Labuschagne led Australia to victory. Head’s impressive 137 runs dismantled the Indian bowling attack and Labuschagne’s unbeaten 58 provided stability to the Australian innings.
The final turning point came in India’s bowling performance. While Indian bowlers had turned the match around by taking wickets in the middle order in the first semi-final, the World Cup final witnessed a different story. After Smith was dismissed in the 7th over, the bowlers struggled to create chances against Head and Labuschagne. Despite Head being out due to his mistake in the 43rd over, the Kangaroos maintained control and India had no advantage in breaking the partnership.
From the toss to crucial wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as well as Australia’s strong middle order batting, there were some key turning points in the World Cup 2023 final that shaped India’s unfortunate defeat.