New Delhi: The Indian cricket team has recently established itself as a dominant force in international cricket, clinching the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025. However, one of the most significant disappointments for the squad was their defeat in the ODI World Cup 2023 final.
Competing against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the Indian team faced a devastating loss that left thousands of fans in shock, marking what many consider a major cricketing heartbreak for the nation in the past 20 years.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has weighed in on this loss, suggesting that the choice of pitch played a critical role in the outcome. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Rise of Champions’ episode, Manjrekar stated, “I was very proud of that Indian team that played in the 2023 ODI World Cup because it looked like the best team in the world. India, with Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, tried to control things off the field a little too much. The pitch they chose was a blunder. We saw that batters like Suryakumar Yadav are not the same when the pace is taken off on a slow pitch.”
Adding to the analysis, former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden commented on India’s loss in the final, describing it as a national setback. “Everyone just celebrated that India would win easily at home. They forgot it is a sports field, and there are two teams racing. One was better prepared. They are a dominant team, but losing the World Cup at home is a huge loss. I don’t know how you move on from that. With 1.4 billion people, you should beat anyone on the planet,” Hayden remarked.
This defeat has sparked considerable discussion and analysis among experts and fans, highlighting the challenges faced by the Indian team despite their strong performance in recent tournaments.
