Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has opened up about the team’s environment after their World Cup final loss against Australia, adding that the entire nation was saddened when the Indian team lost the final. Despite dominating throughout the entire tournament, the Men in Blue fell short of the well-deserved title, leaving the entire nation saddened.
The Indian cricket team, after a powerful and merciless campaign, was defeated in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup by Australia. This was the best opportunity for India to win their third ODI World Cup trophy, but could not do so against the mighty Australians in the final as India’s wait for an ICC title did not come to an end.
In an interview with the media, Mohammed Shami, the tournament’s best wicket-taker, with 24 wickets from seven innings admitted that the entire country was disappointed with the loss against Australia. Shami went on to remark that the team did everything possible to maintain the momentum, but he couldn’t figure out what went wrong in the end.
“The whole nation was disappointed (when India lost the World Cup). We tried hundred percent to continue the momentum till the end that we had created and win the final. But…it cannot be explained, where we went wrong at the end…” Mohammed Shami said.
His best performance came against New Zealand in the first semi-final, where he picked up a seven-wicket haul and helped the team reach the final. The 2023 ODI World Cup was unique in many ways, as the Indian team was not dependent on the success of a single player. In every match, a different player was named Player of the Match, demonstrating the team’s dominance.
Following the final match, Indian fans were saddened to see images of their skipper, Rohit Sharma, with tears in his eyes as he made his way back to the pavilion. Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj were also emotional after the match.
Despite their loss, many people acknowledged India’s outstanding effort throughout the tournament. The team dominated almost every opponent they faced, winning 10 straight games and only losing the ICC trophy final despite their strong performance in the league stage.
Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the two-match test series against South Africa after failing to recover from an injury that he sustained during the ODI World Cup 2023 on home soil. Shami is expected to continue his recovery at home for the time being, and he could return during the Test series against England, which begins on January 25 in Hyderabad.
