Rohit Sharma, reflecting on India’s defeat to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup, confessed his initial fear of the nation’s disappointment, yet was pleasantly surprised by the supportive response from the public.
Not long after the heartbreaking loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup finals, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer appeared on ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ on Netflix, where Rohit shared insights about that crucial match. Despite the defeat, Rohit reflected on the positive atmosphere within the team before the finals.
“Two days before the match, our team was in Ahmedabad and we did our practice. The team had maintained a good momentum. As if the team was on autopilot,” Rohit said.
On the day of finals, despite an early setback with Shubman Gill’s dismissal, Rohit and Virat Kohli formed a promising partnership. However, the home team could only manage 241 runs, all out, as Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc led Australia’s fast-bowling attack.
Rohit emphasized the importance of scoreboard pressure in big matches, stating that any total, even a modest one, can unsettle the opposition, potentially leading to their downfall under pressure.
“When the match began, we started good. Shubman Gill got out quickly but then Virat Kohli and I had a partnership, we were confident we could achieve a good score. I feel that in big matches, if you are able to score runs and create pressure on the opposite team, it is good as any team can slip under pressure. But Australia played good cricket. We even managed to take three wickets for just around 40 runs but they had a long partnership after that,” he added.
The skipper also confessed his apprehension about public disappointment after India’s loss at home. However, he was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception from fans, who praised the team’s performance despite the unfavorable outcome.
“Even I was thinking that even though the World Cup took place in our country, we still couldn’t win it, so I felt that the nation might be angry with us. That the people might be disappointed in us. But wherever I went after the World Cup finals, I only heard people praising how well we played, and they all thoroughly enjoyed watching that cricket. The result wasn’t favorable,” Rohit concluded.
Last Updated on April 7, 2024
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