OTD | Australia beat India in 2023 to become ODI World Cup champions for the sixth time

Travis Head’s name still haunts the Indian cricket team and the fans even after one year. Thanks to the left-handed batter, Australia beat India in the ODI World Cup 2023 finals in Ahmedabad, which was upsetting for the Indian fans. India last won an ODI World Cup in 2011, in Mumbai, in front of the home crowd. After being unbeaten in the tournament, with a magnificent display of gameplay and a solid show of camaraderie between the players for throughout a month, India lost the WC 2023. Undoubtedly, the Aussies were better than the home team; however, the sound of the broken hearts was too loud on November 19, 2023. 

The day started with the Indian players practicing on the field before the toss. While everything was set, captain Rohit Sharma went in for the toss, just to lose it. India were asked to bat first, on a pitch that wasn’t batting-friendly. Well, that was the start of a destructive day. However, when the Indian openers came into bat, Shubman Gill departed for just four runs, giving a mini heart attack to the fans. Then walked in the great, Virat Kohli. After scoring a magnificent century in the semi-finals, a lot was expected from the former captain. Rohit and Kohli started playing their natural game, giving a sigh of relief to 1.4 billion people. 

But the happiness didn’t last long as captain Rohit played an unnecessary shot and went back to the pavilion on 47 runs. Glenn Maxwell turned the villain for India by dismissing the captain, who looked in solid form. Travis Head’s dedication to catch the ball was the second step towards India’s misery. Shreyas Iyer was of no use, too, as he returned on four runs. After that, KL Rahul came into the crease. He formed a 60-odd runs partnership with Kohli and scored 66 runs off 107 balls. This inning is still criticized by many experts and fans till date due to lack of intent from the wicketkeeper-batter.

India could only score 240 runs in the ODI World Cup 2023 finals against the mighty Australians. The confidence and faith were almost lost in the hosts before Mohammed Shami drew the first blood of Australia by dismissing David Warner for just seven runs. Then the second wicket went, followed by the third. After three wickets, Marnus Labuchagne walked in. The nightmare for the Indians started. 

Along with Travis Head, Labuchagne formed a 195-run partnership, shattering the decades-long dream of India. The Indian bowlers were clueless in front of the batters and were unable to dismiss them. Even the likes of Bumrah and Shami had no variations left in them to send the batters back to the pavilion. With that, Australia won their sixth ICC ODI World Cup finals.  

Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.