Australia defeats India to win WTC Final 2023.
Australia won the WTC Final 2023 as they defeated India by 209 runs on Sunday, May 11 at The Oval in London. Coming into Day 5, India needed 280 more runs to win having seven wickets in hand with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease. Australia managed to break the partnership between the duo early in the day as Scott Boland got the prized scalp of Kohli. Following his dismissal, the Indian batting order collapsed as they got bundled out for 234.
WTC Final 2023: Following Australia’s clinical win, legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar congratulated them and credited Steve Smith and Travis Head for their massive stand in the first innings. However, Tendulkar also questioned the team management’s decision of leaving off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin out.
Congratulations to Team Australia on winning the #WTCFinal. @stevesmith49 and @travishead34 set a solid foundation on Day one itself to tilt the game in their favour. India had to bat big in the first innings to stay in the game, but they couldn’t. There were some good moments…
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 11, 2023
On Twitter, Tendulkar posted, “There were some good moments for Team India, but I fail to understand the exclusion of @ashwinravi99 in the playing XI, who is currently the number one Test bowler in the world.”
The great batsman added that Ashwin should have played because Australia had five left-handed players in their top eight and that skilled spinners don’t always depend on turning tracks.
As I said before the game, skilled spinners don’t always rely on turning tracks; they can also hide their changes by using air drift and surface bounce. Not to mention, 5 of Australia’s top 8 batters were left-handed, he said.
WTC Final 2023: Ashwin hasn’t played in six consecutive Tests for India in England
Notably, Ashwin played in the last WTC final in 2021 and was the joint-highest wicket-taker for India during the game. Following that, the off-spinner hasn’t featured in the next six Tests that India have played in England.
The 36-year-old has picked 18 wickets in seven Tests played in England at an average of 28.11 and has also scored 261 runs in the country at an average of 23.72. However, Ashwin has fallen out of favour in the current team in overseas conditions with seam all-rounder Shardul Thakur replacing him.
India, for all its financial clout and hoo-ha around its cricket, lost yet again when it mattered the most, as its underwhelming record in ICC tournaments continued with a 209-run hammering by Australia in the WTC final here on Sunday.
Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja were both dismissed by Australian pacer Scott Boland in the same over, ultimately ending India’s chances of winning the match as they were bowled out for 234 on the final day at The Oval.
India had only themselves to blame for yet another defeat in a major competition because Australia was obviously the superior team on all fronts. India won its previous ICC championship back in 2013, which marked their second straight loss in the World Tennis Championship final after losing to New Zealand two years prior.
WTC Final 2023 On the final day, India lost seven wickets for an additional 70 runs.
WTC Final 2023: Boland’s dismissal of Kohli and Jadeja (0) in the seventh over of the morning, though, effectively ended India’s chances of winning. India began the day at 164 for three and needed another 280 runs to pull off the unlikely victory.
If India was to come close to reaching the enormous mark, Kohli, who had appeared to be in excellent form on day four, needed to score a big hundred.
There was always going to be an odd ball with your name on it on a surface with varying bounce, and that is what occurred to both Kohli and Jadeja.
Boland’s dogged pursuit around the off-stump has given the Australian attack a new dimension. The seamer pitched one wide while bowling from the pavilion end, and Kohli attempted to drive only to be stopped by a leaping Steve Smith at second slip.
After two balls, he got one to seam away from the wicket, and Jadeja gave the wicketkeeper an easy catch, leaving India at 179 for five.
K S Bharat then joined Rahane, who continued to energize the fans by hitting a pair of stunning straight drives against Mitchell Starc.
Shardul Thakur lasted just five balls, lbw off Nathan Lyon, to make it 213 for seven. It seemed the match would last till lunch but the Indian tail made the task easier for the Australians and were bowled out in the extra half hour of play.
Scoreboard WTC Final 2023:
WTC Final 2023: Australia 1st Innings: 469 all out; India 1st Innings: 296 all out; Australia 2nd Innings: 270/8 declared.
India 2nd Innings (overnight: 164/3): Rohit Sharma lbw Lyon 43 Shubman Gill c Green b Boland 18 Cheteshwar Pujara c Carey b Cummins 27 Virat Kohli c Smith b Boland 49 Ajinkya Rahane c Carey b Starc 46 Ravindra Jadeja c Carey b Boland 0 KS Bharat c&b Lyon 23 Shardul Thakur lbw Lyon 0 Umesh Yadav c Carey b Starc 1 Mohammed Shami not out 13 Mohammed Siraj c Cummins b Lyon 1; Extras: (LB-2, W-6, NB-5) 13
Total: (all out in 63.3 overs) 234.
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-92, 3-93, 4-179, 5-179, 6-212, 7-213, 8-220, 9-224, 10-234
Australia 2nd Innings bowling: Pat Cummins 13-1-55-1, Scott Boland 16-2-46-3, Mitchell Starc 14-1-77-2, Cameron Green 5-0-13-0, Nathan Lyon 15.3-2-41-4.
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