November 19, 2023 is a Sunday that many Indians would prefer to forget. Celebrated commentator Harsha Bhogle can recall the events of 18 and 20 November but struggles to remember what transpired on that fateful day at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It was the day when Pat Cummins-led Australia backed their words with action, silencing a partisan crowd of over 100,000 by defeating Rohit Sharma’s India to claim the prestigious ODI World Cup.
India had entered the grand final as firm favourites. Riding a 10-match winning streak, they seemed poised to end a decade-long wait for a major cricket trophy. Rohit Sharma’s men had steamrolled their opposition throughout the tournament, with star batter Virat Kohli leading the scoring charts.
The odds were heavily in India’s favour. No host nation had lost an ODI World Cup final since 2007, and India were widely expected to extend that streak. Moreover, Australia faced the formidable challenge of playing in front of a fervent home crowd at the world’s largest cricket stadium.
Yet, despite not being pre-tournament favourites, Australia rose to the occasion, showcasing their renowned ability to thrive under pressure and delivering a masterclass on the sport’s biggest stage.
Before the final, Australian captain Pat Cummins had spoken about the challenge of playing in front of a packed and vocal Indian crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Cummins emphasised the need for his team to stay focused and “silence” the crowd with their performance.
On the day of the final, Cummins and his team walked the talk. Despite the overwhelming support for the Indian team, Australia remained composed and executed their plans to perfection.
WHEN INDIA FALTERED ON SLOW PITCH
India, who were asked to bat first, started strongly with captain Rohit Sharma scoring 47 runs from 31 balls, including four fours and three sixes, helping India to 80 runs in the first 10 overs. However, the Indian innings faltered after Sharma’s dismissal, with Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer also falling quickly, reducing India to 81 for 3 by the 11th over.
The partnership between Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, although crucial, was slow and spanned 18 overs. This inability to score quickly limited India’s overall total and put pressure on the lower order to score at a higher rate, which they failed to achieve.
After Shreyas Iyer’s wicket, India went 16 overs without hitting a boundary, significantly impacting their scoring rate. Australian bowlers, particularly Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa, were economical and restricted India’s ability to find the boundaries consistently.
Kohli was dismissed for 54, and Rahul for 66, leaving India at 203 for 6. Suryakumar Yadav struggled to add impetus to India’s innings with the tail as the Australian bowlers limited India to 240-all out with Mitchell Starc topping the charts with three wickets.
Australia, in response, faced early setbacks with David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Steven Smith falling cheaply, leaving them at 47 for 3 inside seven overs.
However, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the innings with a composed partnership. Head scored a decisive 137 runs from 120 balls, while Labuschagne contributed 58 not out from 110 balls. Their partnership guided Australia past the finish line and into the history books as they went on to win their sixth men’s ODI World Cup crown.
DID INDIA ‘DOCTOR’ THE WORLD CUP FINAL PITCH?
In the aftermath of India’s defeat, questions were asked about the nature of the pitch as Indian batters struggled to get going on a slow and low wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium after having dominated the batting charts throughout the tournament.
Former India batter Kaif argued that the Indian team had messed up by asking for a slow pitch and were beaten in their own plan by Pat Cummins’ Australia.
“I was there for three days. Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid inspected the pitch every day for 3 days ahead of the final. They stood beside the pitch for an hour every day. I saw the pitch change its colour. There was no watering the pitch, no grass on the track. India wanted to give Australia a slow track. This is the truth, even if people don’t want to believe it,” Kaif said to India’s Today sister channel Lallantop in an interaction.
Regardless, the disappointment on the faces of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid spoke volumes, as India missed out on a golden opportunity to win cricket’s most coveted prize under favourable conditions.
Six months later, however, India silenced their critics when Rohit Sharma’s men went on to lift the T20 World Cup, offering some solace for the heartbreak of 19 November.
