Tears flowed freely for Mohammed Siraj as Australia clinched victory in the ICC World Cup on Sunday. With welled-up eyes, India skipper Rohit Sharma hurried off the field. Following a poignant six-wicket loss in the final, the Indian team found themselves in emotional turmoil, as head coach Rahul Dravid disclosed post-match.
Certainly, Rohit Sharma is disappointed, and so are numerous players in the dressing room. The emotions ran high in there. As a coach, it was challenging for me to witness because I understand the immense effort, sacrifices, and hard work these guys have dedicated,” expressed Dravid, a member of the team that faced defeat in the 2003 World Cup final against Australia.
“It’s difficult to witness because you form personal connections with these players, you witness their dedicated efforts, the hard work invested over the past month, and the quality of cricket we’ve displayed,” expressed the batting legend. Despite half-centuries by Virat Kohli (54) and KL Rahul (66), India could only muster 240 on the scoreboard after Australia skipper Pat Cummins, who won the toss, chose to bowl first.
India’s once-celebrated bowling, the subject of discussion during their 10 consecutive victories before the final setback, found no solution to the prowess of Australia opener Travis Head. His impressive 120-ball 137 guided his team to victory with seven overs to spare. Head formed a formidable partnership, contributing 192 runs with Marnus Labuschagne (58) after Australia’s run-chase began on a shaky note, losing three wickets for a mere 47 runs.
“That’s the nature of sport. It can happen, and on the day, the superior team emerged victorious,” Dravid remarked. “I am confident the sun will rise tomorrow morning. We’ll learn from this, reflect, and move forward, just like everyone else. As sportsmen, you encounter both highs and lows. You keep pressing ahead. By putting yourself on the line in games like these, you experience the highs and lows, and that’s where the learning happens.”
India secured victory in all nine league matches, earning the top spot on the points table to reach the semi-finals. Although they triumphed over New Zealand in the semi-final, they couldn’t overcome the clinical performance of the Australians, who excelled in all three departments on the crucial day.
In a video capturing PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the team’s dressing room post-match, the Prime Minister is seen extending greetings and motivation to the players and head coach Dravid. He remarked, “It happens” in sport and encouraged the players to draw strength from one another during this challenging hour.
