In the final of the Cricket World Cup 2023, India suffered an embarrassing defeat to Australia on November 19 after being the best team in the tournament. Tavis Head's century sealed Australia's fate in history as the Aussies outperformed the hosts in every aspect of the game, including bowling, batting, and fielding. As commentators analysed India's lack of success in the title match, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik quickly blamed KL Rahul, claiming that the wicket-keeper batter's low middle-order strike rate cost India the match.
"KL Rahul was just trying to bat through the 50 overs. He should not have done that and should have tried to play his game. If you're batting in tough conditions and the boundaries aren't coming easily, then at least you've got to rotate strike. That wasn't happening, there were a lot of dot balls," Malik in a chat on A Sports.
“He has been taking a lot of responsibility when India lose quick wickets upfront. If you will see his today's innings 66 off 107 balls, it was not a Rahul innings. He went into a zone, where he only wanted to play the whole fifty overs. He should have been a little more proactive,” he added.
It's undeniable that batting first on the Narendra Modi Stadium track wasn't as simple as batting second, but Malik believes the Aussies were able to judge the conditions better than the Indians did.
"The venue in which this match was played had long side boundaries. The Australian utilised these boundaries very well. They said we won't let you hit us down the ground and you can hit us square of the wicket. Their bowlers used variations very well. The Australians assessed the Indian conditions better than the Indians and then executed their plans," Malik further asserted.
"KL Plays spin very well and we have seen it throughout the tournament. He plays well square of the wicket, front of the wicket, and uses his feet well. But today his approach was that he was waiting. He maybe was not trusting the other batters. He was thinking about getting the team to 250 and it got difficult," said Misbah-ul-Haq, on the show.
India's quest for an ICC title is still ongoing in light of the loss. This was most likely the final chance for players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and a few others to help the nation win its third ODI World Cup.
To create a stronger plan for the future, the team is now going back to the drawing board.
(Powered by AI)
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
'I salute Rohit Sharma for his...': Mohammad Kaif heaps immense praise on 'Hitman' after World Cup final defeat
'The Prime Minister told us that...': Indian team member reveals how PM Narendra Modi consoled Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and others
