3 players who starred and 2 who flopped for India in the World Cup 2023 Final vs Australia ft. Shubman Gill & Mohammed Shami
Australia won their sixth World Cup title as they beat hosts India by six wickets in front of a packed crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19.
Travis Head was the man who took the game away from the Men in Blue, blazing his way to a scintillating century, his second of the tournament. The destructive opener was just one cog in the wheel of the Aussies, who put on a complete performance.
At the other end of the spectrum, India came up with a display that was anything but comprehensive. While a couple of names did their potential justice, most others didn't step up in the summit clash.
On that note, here are three players who starred and two who flopped for Team India in their World Cup 2023 Final match against Australia.
#5 Star - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli walked away with the Player of the Tournament award after finishing at the top of the run-scoring charts, but a second World Cup trophy eluded the superstar batter.
Kohli played well for his 54, striking three boundaries off Mitchell Starc to ensure that India didn't lose momentum after Shubman Gill's early dismissal. After Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer joined Gill in the hut, though, the No. 3 needed to drop anchor, and did that while comfortably rotating strike in the middle overs.
All it took was one soft dismissal to send Kohli back and seriously damage India's chances of winning the World Cup.
#4 Flop - Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami picked a terrible day to dish out arguably his worst performance of the 2023 World Cup. The veteran fast bowler's sensational displays fired India to the final, but he was far from his best in the summit clash.
Given the new ball, Shami couldn't find control and sent down plenty of extras. He also went searching for wickets and presented the Aussie batters with easy scoring opportunities. Even his wicket of David Warner was an awfully wide one that could've been left alone.
Shami also attempted a lofted hit in the first innings when he should've handed Suryakumar Yadav the strike. It was a disappointing outing overall for the pacer.
#3 Star - KL Rahul
A lot of criticism has been leveled at the pace of KL Rahul's innings, but he couldn't have done much else in the situation he encountered when he came to the crease. Without much batting to follow, the No. 5 batter needed to ensure that India got through the middle overs without losing any wickets.
Rahul struck just one boundary in his 107-ball 66, a knock that calmed India's nerves after they lost Rohit and Shreyas. He struggled to find the gaps at times on a slow pitch, but without the freedom to try anything different, it was the best possible course of action.
Rahul's glovework let him down in the second innings. However, he can't be faulted with the bat, with Mitchell Starc producing a beauty to get rid of him in the 42nd over.
#2 Flop - Shubman Gill
The big stage waited invitingly for Shubman Gill to make an impression, but it seemed like the occasion got to him.
Gill was dismissed playing a cross-batted swat off Starc, and while his intent was appreciated, it wasn't the pitch to be playing that kind of shot. He should've been more circumspect and kept things ticking from one end.
Gill, who usually loves playing in Ahmedabad, had played quite a few clutch knocks in his short career so far. But despite the odds favoring him, the 23-year-old missed out on an excellent chance to have a career-defining moment.
#1 Star - Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma's dismissal, shortly after hitting a four and a six, was the result of an extremely imprudent shot. While he had been aggressive throughout the competition, he had bridged attacking intent and patience quite well and hadn't tried to force 15-run overs.
Rohit shouldn't have got out at the time he did, in the manner he did. However, it's still important to recognize that without his powerplay contribution, the Men in Blue wouldn't even have been in the game. The Indian skipper threw Josh Hazlewood off his lengths, striking four fours and three sixes in his knock.
With the pitch slowing down over the course of the first innings, Rohit's superb knock gave India a defendable total. What a tournament the 36-year-old had!