On the last day of the WTC Final 2023, India started the day with 164/3 on the board, needing 280 runs to win. Thanks to their application with the bat on Day Four and a benign surface on offer, the Indian fans had hope. Also, the Aussies stationed two fielders at the boundary, something with which the former Australian skippers didn’t agree at all.
Also, the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane started the day well with a few singles and occasional boundaries. However, Scott Boland took out Kohli as the latter tried to play an extravagant cover drive. Ravindra Jadeja followed two balls later, he only tried to defend but was caught behind by Alex Carey. The game was pretty much done for India at this point.
The likes of Rahane and Bharat needed to take the fightback forward even though they had no chance of winning. The former was going well before trying to play a cover drive but was caught by Carey. With this, it was only a matter of time before the Kangaroos won their maiden World Test Championship title. They were all-out for 234, losing the game by 209 runs.
India loses their second consecutive WTC Final
Two years back, India faced New Zealand in the inaugural final of the World Test Championship. In the game played at Southampton, it was impacted by rain for 2.5 days. However, thanks to the addition of a reserve day at the time, the Kiwis managed to win the game by eight wickets. In the 2021-23 cycle, the now former champions finished second last in the table.
On the other hand, Australia, who missed out due to docked points and not taking the chance of playing a Test series in South Africa, was the first team to reach the final. India did it after the Blackcaps beat Sri Lanka in one of the Tests while India played Australia in the last game in March this year. Meanwhile, the Aussies have managed to lay their hands on the world title that eluded them for a while.
This is how Twitter reacted
Rohit won the IPL final in 2013.
Rohit won the CLT20 final in 2013.
Rohit won the IPL final in 2015.
Rohit won the IPL final in 2017.
Rohit won the Asia Cup final in 2018.
Rohit won the Nidahas final in 2018.
Rohit won the IPL final in 2019.
Rohit won the IPL final in 2020.
Rohit… pic.twitter.com/K5svhK0eDn— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 11, 2023
The problem isn’t the bowling. Hasn’t been the bowling for a few years now. It’s ‘The Batting’ that’s been letting India down. Across formats.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) June 11, 2023
Eight years of domination in Test cricket by this team, only to falter in two back-to-back WTC finals. If there was one format where they needed to shine and break their ICC trophy drought, it was undoubtedly Test cricket.
— Shivani Shukla (@iShivani_Shukla) June 11, 2023
The better team in these conditions won. Well played Australia.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 11, 2023
"Batting is India's strength" is one sentence i don't want to hear now.
In knockouts since 2014, we have been appalling with the bat. We see a moving ball and start panicking.
Kohli-Shastri couldn't deliver the ICC Trophy with 2019 WC being the biggest batting blunder (still…
— Anuj Nitin Prabhu (@APTalksCricket) June 11, 2023
Dear @nimishdubey
Please don't call me cricketing word wizard anymore. I blundered in my assessment of this Indian batting line up, woefully off the mark. No shame in admitting my failure to read this XI which was steamrolled by the best Test team on this planet.#WTCFinals— Vijay Lokapally ?? (@vijaylokapally) June 11, 2023
India's performance in ICC Finals under:
MS Dhoni – 3 wins out of 4 matches.
Other all captains combined – 1 win in 7 matches. pic.twitter.com/VxQxjZAl7n
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 11, 2023
Let’s just keep zero hope for the ODI World Cup and sleep peacefully?.
— Bhawana (@bhawnakohli5) June 11, 2023
Batters should get the stick for consistent underperformance from the beginning of 2020, but in this WTC cycle, the big losses have come due to bowlers. Joburg 2022, Edgbaston 2022 and this Final, it's the bowlers who have failed more than the batters. IND were playing catch up
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) June 11, 2023
Steve Smith, Cummins, Warner, Starc…
The Ashes ?
ODI world cup ?
T20 world cup ?
World Test Championship ?The only 4 cricketers to win all the major trophies in cricket, what legacy !! ? ? pic.twitter.com/iFDeMjYTlK
— Takshaq (@LouisvileIip) June 11, 2023
