Rahul Dravid reveals reason behind India’s embarrassing 6-wicket loss to Australia in ODI World Cup 2023 final

Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid attended a press conference after the heart-breaking 6-wicket loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023 final match at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, November 19. He talked about the reason behind India’s loss and also shed light on his future plans.

Dravid said that they were 30 or 40 runs short as 240 wasn’t enough on that pitch. The ball was coming slowly in the afternoon due to which boundaries were not coming constantly and kept losing wickets at crucial intervals of time. Interestingly, India smashed 80 runs in the powerplay but after Rohit Sharma’s wicket, they failed to hit boundaries and bowled out on just 240 runs.

“We were 30-40 runs short. They bowled really well. The ball was stopping in the afternoon. There was not a lot of dew but it came better under the lights. We didn’t get those boundaries and kept losing wickets at critical intervals,” Dravid was quoted as saying by Cricket One.

We should have got those 40 extra runs: Rahul Dravid

He acknowledged a sluggish start under the sun, suggesting a pitch around 280-290, not the anticipated 240. Regret lingered for not securing those extra 40 runs that could have intensified the pressure on Australia. Despite initial appearances, he praised the wicket’s performance, noting its deceptive simplicity and lack of surprising tactics.

“It was a bit slow to start off with when the sun was on. But I thought it played fine. It was probably a 280, 290 kind of wicket. It wasn’t 240. We should have got those 40 extra runs. That might have put more pressure on Australia. Thought it played really well later on as well. So, I thought it was a pretty good wicket. Sometimes looks can be a bit deceiving. Didn’t really have that many tricks.”