'We knew under lights it would be slightly better to bat': Rohit Sharma refuses to use conditions as an excuse after World Cup final loss

Indian bowlers were ineffective in the middle overs as Travis Head's 137-run knock and Marnus Labuschagne's patient half-century helped Australia get over the line.

Arun Rawal

• Sun • 19 Nov 2023

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the presentation ceremony after World Cup 2023 final loss (Getty Images)

Highlights:

Rohit Sharma scored 47 runs from 31 balls in the World Cup 2023 final.

After reducing Australia to 47/3, India could not manage a breakthrough in the middle overs.

Pat Cummins' Australia got the better of an unbeaten Indian side at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad in front of a crowd nearing one lakh. Everything went Australia's way in the end as India lost the match in the middle overs of both innings. Travis Head took the game away from India with a 137-run knock to chase down 241 with seven overs to spare. A bowling attack that tormented batting lineups in the World Cup could not get wickets after reducing Australia to 47/3. It seemed that the conditions were favouring the batters under the lights but skipper Rohit Sharma refused to use it as an excuse.

“When you have 240 on the board, you want to take wickets but credit to Head and Labuschagne who stitched together a big partnership and put us completely out of the game. We tried everything we could but I feel wicket got slightly better to bat under lights. Don't want to give that as an excuse. We knew under lights it would be slightly better to bat, but don't want to give that as an excuse,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.

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Rohit credited Head and Marnus Labuschagne for the 192-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

“We didn't put enough runs on the board. With the seamers upfront, we took those 3 wickets and another wicket there, we could open up the game. Credit to those two guys in the middle for stitching an outstanding partnership,” the 36-year-old said.

Rohit admitted that India posted a below par score after they were put to bat first. He felt that a score of 270-80 would have been a fighting total on the track.

“The result has not gone our way. We were not good enough today. We tried everything but it wasn't supposed to be. 20-30 runs more would have been good, KL and Kohli were stitching a good partnership and we were looking at 270-280 but we kept losing wickets,” he said.

Earlier, apart from Rohit, no Indian batter could score freely. He scored 47 runs from 31 balls before getting dismissed by Glenn Maxwell in the 10th over.

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