Indian veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opened up about seeing experienced Indian duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in tears after the team’s final loss against Australia at the ODI World Cup 2023 final. The Men in Blue suffered a painful loss after dominating the marquee event in the league stage and the semifinals.
With an outstanding effort in the ODI World Cup 2023, India failed to come over the top of the mighty Australian team. It was painful to see images of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, with tears in his eyes, making his way back to the pavilion following the match, Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj too could not hold their emotions after the end of the game.
Speaking to S Badrinath on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin recently shared his thoughts on India’s defeat against Australia. He expressed that it was painful to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli crying after the game. Ashwin praised Rohit Sharma for being an outstanding human being and commended him for his efforts to get to know every player on the team.
“Yes, we felt the pain. Rohit and Virat were crying. Seeing that it felt bad. Anyways, not meant to be. This team was an experienced team. Everybody knew what to do. And then, it was professional. Everybody knew their routines and warm-ups. I think two natural leaders gave the team the space to do these two ( Kohli and Rohit) and created a vibe.”
“If you look at Indian cricket, everybody will tell you MS Dhoni is one of the best captains. Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person. He understands every single person in the team, he knows what each one of us likes and dislikes. He has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each member personally,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.
Despite losing the final match, many people acknowledged India’s outstanding effort. After dominating almost every opponent they faced en route to the championship, the squad won 10 straight games and lost another ICC trophy final despite their strong performance in the league stage.
I Think All 11 In The Team Had A Great World Cup – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin hailed Rohit Sharma for his contributions as a top-order batsman and for leading the team from the front with an aggressive style of play. He also applauded him for instilling fear in the opponents’ bowlers.
“Telling everyone to play a brand of cricket is one thing, but doing it and showing it on the field is another thing. I have known Rohit for a long time. What he did at the top set the ball rolling. he gave us the confidence. He said ‘It’s okay if we get out for 150. At least we will set the tone, instill fear’. I think all 11 in the team had a great World Cup,” Ravichandran Ashwin added.
During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit Sharma showcased India’s determination to play aggressive cricket by stepping out of his comfort zone. As the Indian captain, he set the stage for the middle-order batsmen to take control of the game and put pressure on the opposing bowling attack early on, allowing the rest of the team to flourish.