In pursuit of a massive 444-run target, Rohit Sharma & Co were dismissed for 234, succumbing to a 209-run defeat at The Oval in London
Rohit Sharma and Co put up a valiant effort to stay in the hunt for the ICC World Test Championship mace till the final day against Australia, but unfortunately succumbed to their second consecutive defeat in a WTC Final in a span of four years. India’s quest for their first ICC title since 2013 was further extended.
In pursuit of a massive 444-run target, India were dismissed for 234 succumbing to a 209-run defeat at The Oval in London. In 2021,they were defeated by New Zealand in the inaugural final by eight wickets in Southampton. Australia, on the other hand claimed the prestigious mace and became the only cricket nation to have won all the ICC titles.
While the Australians demonstrated a clinical performance on a neutral venue, India mostly struggled throughout the five days of play. The decision to bowl first backfired as the pacers had limited success under cloudy conditions, but once the sun came out, India struggled to regain control. Australia’s 251-run partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith, along with a strong bowling attack in both innings and significant contributions from the middle-order batsmen in the second innings crowned them as the champions of the Ultimate Test.
In terms of decision-making and on-field performance, India consistently found themselves a step behind Australia. Although India has defeated Australia twice on their home turf, only one game was meant to determine the best in the business.
India won the toss and elected to bowl first based on the overcast conditions and grass-covered pitch. However, they failed to capitalize on their decision. Bowling the wrong lengths and providing too much room to the opposition batsmen gradually took the game out of India’s grasp on the first day. Even head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that his bowlers couldn’t execute their plans, resulting in a heavy price on the final day. In summary, India lost both WTC Finals because they couldn’t effectively read and adapt to the conditions.
The exclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing XI was a decision that neither fans nor experts could understand. Sourav Ganguly stated that it would have been difficult for him to drop someone like Ashwin, while cricketing personalities such as Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan deemed it a significant mistake.
The former Aussie skipper said on air, “India have possibly fallen into the trap and picked a team for the first innings and might miss Ashwin by days 3-4.”
The error became evident when Ravindra Jadeja, the only spinner in the lineup had limited success in the first innings. Ashwin’s inclusion was crucial, considering the number of left-handed batsmen in the Australian lineup. Interestingly, one of those lefties went on to score the most runs and became the first player ever to register a century in a WTC final and was adjudged the Player of the Match.
Prior to the start of the WTC Final, Virat Kohli stated in an interview that the team that adapted to the conditions faster would emerge victorious. After five days of play, it became clear who achieved this feat more effectively. India took almost a day to figure out how to handle Travis Head and Steve Smith, by which time the Australian pair had already formed a 251-run partnership. The idea of using a barrage of short balls to counter Head didn’t work out in time.
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The top four stars of the Indian batting lineup—Rohit, Gill, Kohli, and Pujara failed to shine brightly in the WTC Final. Although Kohli and Rohit scored in the 40s while chasing 444, Gill and Pujara were the least effective. Pujara, in particular, was the most disappointing. Despite being a Test stalwart, having had success at the Oval for Surrey in the County Championship, and having a strong reputation against the Australians, his shot selection was questionable. Once the top four batsmen were dismissed, aside from some resilience from Rahane and Jadeja, India struggled to make any significant progress.
Another pressing issue that Rahul Dravid and the team management had to navigate is the sheer amount of injury-ridden players who weren’t available for selection. Rishabh Pant’s absence was sorely felt by India throughout the game, as evidenced by the legendary encounter at the Gabba in 2021. Clips from that match resurfaced on social media whenever Indian batsmen faced difficulties. Another notable absence was that of Bumrah, whose non-participation greatly impacted India. Although Rahane rightfully replaced the seasoned batsman Shreyas Iyer, there was no one to support the experienced player, especially during the second innings.
These factors undoubtedly emphasise the urgency for the Indian team management to reassess and revise their strategies moving forward. Captain Rohit Sharma has expressed the team’s constant eagerness to experiment with new approaches, but these attempts so far have proven visibly ineffective.
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