Explained - How did India falter despite their 'greatest run' in World Cup history

It’s been exactly 30 days, one month on the calendar since the World Cup final - when Pat Cummins delivered his promise and broke around 100,000 hearts in Ahmedabad and more than a billion outside of it. While losing to New Zealand in the semis four years ago was as heartbreaking, going down against the mighty Aussies in the final despite the unparalleled run in this World Cup felt personal, emotional and shattering.

So how could India lose this once-in-a-million chance of winning the World Cup at home? 

Form could never be an issue, considering what this team delivered in this one-and-a-half-month tournament. Having won ten straight games, most with utter dominance, in the lead-up to the summit clash, India looked destined to complete this fairytale run with a World Cup win. Pat Cummins, however, had different plans.

For Australia to beat India on the day it mattered the most, God must have come down and stood in Australia’s corner, and for the record, that is what happened. With the home team not putting a foot wrong until Sunday (Nov 19) in Ahmedabad, India batted first, unlike in 2003, when Sourav Ganguly decided to bowl first to hand Australia the World Cup.

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While Cummins sounded confident in his call to bowl first, surprising most fans, pundits and even commentators, Rohit was happy to bat first, admitting he would have done that anyway.

Was bowling first a masterstroke by Cummins?

Not until the game got over this call looked like a masterstroke by the Aussies. Putting India on the backfoot by removing Gill, Iyer and Rohit (47) inside the 11th over already had Australia’s nose in front. Travis Head’s running behind catch to dismiss Rohit was easily the game-changing moment for the home team.

Provided the wicket on offer was a used one (used during the India-Pakistan game group game), batting first looked like a viable option, considering the pitch might crack open as the game progressed. India, however, failed to make the most of this chance, but can they be blamed, given how well the Aussies bowled and fielded? No!

Be it the energetic Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa, or the ageing David Warner, everyone committed themselves to giving more than 100 per cent on the field. Those dives near the boundary lines, or even in the 30-yard circle, saved almost 30 to 40 runs, enough to put the high-flying Indian batting attack on the backfoot.

Such was its effect that India could hit only a handful of fours from the 11th till the 40th over. Even with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul contributing with respective fifties, India could not surpass 240 – an under-par total in a World Cup final.

To put that in perspective, Australia bowled magnificently, perhaps the best in the tournament. Cummins was the standout bowler, conceding 35 in ten overs and picking two wickets, including that of Iyer and Kohli.

Shami ahead of Siraj was a blunder

Mohammed Shami was India’s best bowler in the 2023 World Cup, picking 23 wickets in six matches before the final. Now, if Rohit got tempted to use him upfront ahead of Siraj - a predominantly new-ball swing-bound bowler, he must have thought long and hard about it. 

Following Warner’s wicket (off Shami), Rohit looked to have struck gold with his call. However, that bubble blew early with Shami’s wayward line with a new ball, as Rohit was left with Siraj and not a finger spinner to look out for wickets afterwards. With India not playing an extra spinner outside of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj had to bowl unusual lengths, bouncers mostly, not enough to trouble the settled pair. 

Likewise for India, Australia lost early wickets, with Smith back in the hut. With pressure back on the Aussies, Head and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the ship and anchored Australia out of trouble with daunting innings, especially by Head, who scored a brilliant hundred (137 off 120).

With too many factors, not luck entirely, going against India in the World Cup final, Australia grabbed this opportunity and went for the sixth CWC title – the most by any team in history. 

The moment when Australia sealed the win, the dejection on the faces of the Indian players and fans was hard to watch.

India lost to a better team

There is no shame in losing to a better team in sports, be it any. While India won ten straight matches leading up to the final, Australia lost twice (opening two games against India and South Africa). 

As destiny had it, India lost on the day when everything was on the line, while Australia held their nerves to stand tall once again against the same opponent 20 years later. 

Be it Head, Maxwell, Warner, Cummins or Starc, every Aussie player contributed to helping their team take the coveted trophy home.