IND 240 (50)
AUS 241/4 (43)
Australia won by 6 wkts
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Travis Head
PLAYER OF THE SERIES
Virat Kohli
Cricbuzzteam, India vs Australia, Rohit Sharma used a particular phrase twice during the post-match presentation after India’s loss to Australia in the World Cup final by six wickets.
He expressed, “We weren’t good enough today,” while reflecting on the game. Despite the loss, he expressed pride in the team’s performance throughout the tournament, stating, “I’m really proud of the team, how we played from game one. It just wasn’t our day.
“We tried everything we could from our side. But yeah, it wasn’t supposed to be.”
India’s successful run, winning all nine league games and the semi-final in Mumbai, came to a sudden end in the final. Batting first in Ahmedabad on a slow and dry surface, the hosts struggled for momentum and were bowled out for 240 off the last ball of the innings.
Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, feels we played our best in the final match. Some key players stepped up, and we’re pretty tired. Throughout the tournament, we’ve been batting first, but today we decided to chase. The pitch was slower than expected, not spinning much. Everyone adapted well, bowled tightly, and set some catchers on the leg side to make the opponents make decisions. Our fielding was desperate and started improving in South Africa last week.
We were satisfied with our score of 240 on a challenging pitch. Scoring under 300 was our goal. Marnus and Travis played brilliantly, especially Travis, who took risks and added pressure on the bowlers. The selectors supported him even when he had a broken hand, and it paid off. The crowd was mostly silent during our bowling innings, except for a few loud moments. The passion of Indian fans is unmatched.
Regardless of the result, today is a special moment we’ll never forget. After two losses, we knew we had to go and win the World Cup. This year has been successful, and winning today tops it all. It’s like reaching the top of the mountain.
Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, is disappointed with the result. We weren’t up to the mark today, and despite trying everything, it didn’t work out. Having 20-30 more runs would have been better. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were building a good partnership, aiming for a score of 270-280, but we kept losing wickets.
After setting a target of 240, we wanted to take wickets, but credit to Head and Labuschagne for forming a big partnership that took the game away from us. We tried our best, but I feel the pitch got better for batting under the lights. I don’t want to use that as an excuse. We knew batting would be easier under lights, but we didn’t score enough runs.
At the beginning with our seamers, we took three wickets, and if we had gotten one more, we could have changed the game. Credit to those two in the middle for creating an outstanding partnership.
Player of the Tournament in World Cups
1992: Martin Crowe
1996: Sanath Jayasuriya
1999: Lance Klusener
2003: Sachin Tendulkar
2007: Glenn McGrath
2011: Yuvraj Singh
2015: Mitchell Starc
2019: Kane Williamson
2023: Virat Kohli
Teams whose only defeat in a World Cup edition coming in the final
India in 2023 (10 wins)
New Zealand in 2015 (8 wins)
England in 1979 (4 wins)
Most wickets in a single edition of the World Cup
27 M Starc (2019)
26 G McGrath (2007)
24 Mohd Shami (2023) *
23 C Vaas (2003)
23 M Muralitharan (2007)
23 S Tait (2007)
23 A Zampa (2023)
World Cup 2023 summary
Most runs: Virat Kohli (765)
Highest individual score: Glenn Maxwell (201*)
Most centuries: Quinton de Kock (4)
Most sixes: Rohit Sharma (31)
Most wickets: Mohd Shami (24)
Best figures: Mohd Shami (7/57)
Most WK dismissals: Quinton de Kock (20)
Most outfield catches: Daryl Mitchell (11)
Player of the Match in semifinal and final of a World Cup
Mohinder Amarnath in 1983
Aravinda de Silva in 1996
Shane Warne in 1999
Travis Head in 2023
Travis Head, the Player of the Match with 137 runs in 120 balls, expressed his surprise at the achievement, saying he never expected it. He felt it was a fantastic day, much better than sitting at home. He was happy to contribute, especially gaining confidence after the first twenty balls.
Head praised Mitch Marsh for setting a positive tone by taking on the game. They anticipated the pitch might become challenging, and bowling first after winning the toss was a great decision. According to Head, the pitch improved as the day progressed, and a bit of spin worked in their favor.
Reflecting on a crucial catch, he mentioned working hard on fielding and acknowledged the importance of supporting teammates, especially on the big stage. Head acknowledged Rohit Sharma as possibly the unluckiest person and appreciated being part of such a significant moment. He felt honored to join the list of centurions in World Cup finals and looked forward to celebrating with the team
Also Read:- Virat Kohli’s World Cup 2023 Triumph: Player of the Tournament Despite India’s Final Defeat to Australia