The Indian cricket team faced a heartbreaking defeat against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final, leading to a flurry of observations about their batting strategy. Head coach Rahul Dravid, however, disagreed with the notion that the team had adopted a defensive approach during their innings.

India, after being put into bat, struggled to build momentum on a sluggish pitch, posting a modest 240 runs on the board. Despite a promising start by skipper Rohit Sharma, the team lost crucial wickets early in the game, hindering their run flow.

Addressing the team’s batting strategy, Dravid defended their approach, stating, “We played fearless cricket, we had 80 runs in the first powerplay. Sometimes, you have to rebuild innings after losing a few wickets, we were not defensive.”

Acknowledging the shortfall in their total, Dravid admitted, “We were at least 40-50 runs short. It was probably a 280, 290 kind of wicket. We should have got those 40 extra runs. That might have put more pressure on Australia.”

While lamenting the defeat, Dravid empathized with the players, acknowledging their efforts and sacrifices. He highlighted the emotional impact on the team following the loss in yet another ICC final.

Expressing his admiration for Rohit Sharma’s leadership, Dravid praised the captain’s dedication and influence on the team, emphasizing Rohit’s exceptional role both on and off the field.

Rohit Sharma emerged as India’s batting stalwart throughout the tournament, finishing the 2023 World Cup with remarkable statistics, scoring 597 runs in 11 innings at an average of 54.27 and an impressive strike rate of 125.95.