Former Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram has accused fans, social media, and broadcasters of prematurely declaring India as the winners of the World Cup ahead of their final match against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium. India had won a record ten consecutive games leading up to the final and were the favourites to win the trophy for the third time.
Many were surprised when Australian captain Pat Cummins chose to bowl first after winning the toss in the final. This decision proved to be a game-changing moment, highlighting the tactical prowess of the Australian team. They had correctly assessed the pitch conditions, that Black soil pitch would become easier to play on as the night progressed and the increasing wetness made it less challenging.
Former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram shared his thoughts on India’s loss to Australia in the World Cup final. Speaking on Star Sports, Akram said that it would be tough for India to accept the defeat considering they had performed well throughout the tournament. He also acknowledged that the Indian team may have felt additional pressure from the expectations of their home fans.
“I can understand that as a nation it will be tough to get over it because your team played so well throughout the tournament. They won 10 matches on the trot, there was consistency. But television, social media, fans… you all already made India the winner of World Cup”.
“You accept your mistake too, I’m sorry. You increased the hope of the people because they were playing so well. It’s not entirely your fault. They were playing very good cricket. But it came to just one bad game. Credit goes to Australia,” Wasim Akram said.
Before the setback in the mega final, Rohit Sharma-led side won 10 consecutive games. Despite entering ICC events as one of the favourites in recent years, India has failed to reach the ultimate goal since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
They Didn’t Bowl A Single Pace-On Delivery To Suryakumar Yadav – Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram believes that Australia executed their plans very well in the middle overs of the game, where the Indian middle-order failed to score boundaries against the well-disciplined Australian bowling attack. He also highlighted their successful plans against Suryakumar Yadav.
“In the middle overs from 11-40, there were very few boundaries because of the way they bowled. They didn’t bowl a single pace-on delivery to Suryakumar Yadav. Fine-leg and a third man were literally behind the keeper. So they had better plans,” Wasim Akram added.
Australian pacers led by Pat Cummins, completely shut down India in the middle overs, allowing only four boundaries from overs 11 to 40 in the final. Despite a quick start in the powerplay by skipper Rohit Sharma, India were restricted to 240 runs, which eased Australia to chase down the target.