Year-ender 2023: ODI World Cup: A heartbreaking climax to fairytale run for Men in Blue

India’s entry to the final of the World Cup 2023 was scripted by skipper Rohit Sharma's fireworks, Virat Kohli anchoring the innings and pacer Mohammed Shami causing destruction with the ball. However, the unbeaten dream in the marquee tournament came to an end as they were beaten by Australia in the six wickets in the summit clash and it broke over a billion hearts. ETV Bharat's Nishad Bapat takes a look at India's campaign, which ended in agony.

Hyderabad: As the World Cup 2023 was going to be held in India, there was high anticipation among Indian fans regarding the chances of the team's victory as home advantage usually plays a big role in the side's success. Plus, the Indian team and their ardent fans were suffering from the excruciating pain of missing out on an ICC Trophy for the last 10 years when the 'Men in Blue' featured in the recently concluded ODI World Cup edition.

Preparation for the World Cup:

The team formation was set in motion from the Asia Cup as two key batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who had rested many games before the tournament, played most of the games in the competition. Before the commencement of the Asia Cup, the duo had suffered a lot of backlash from various sections in the cricket fraternity for missing matches for workload management. However, they turned out to be two key pillars on whom the Indian batting unit relied for an impressive outing. The tournament also involved some comeback stories as three players, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, batter Shreyas Iyer, and wicket-keeper KL Rahul returned to the international circuit recently after sustaining severe injuries.

Also, India were favourites to lift the coveted Trophy considering home advantage and the quality of spinners they possessed, who could exploit the playing conditions to their use. It was a tough task to handle such pressure from fans but there was a factor in which India needed a change and that was their playing template to excel in the tournament. When the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side suffered a hammering by 10 wickets at the hands of England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022, Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid decided to shed down old templates.

Ultra-aggressive start by the 'Hitman'

A captain is supposed to lead his team with performances and Rohit Sharma did that with his bat in the tournament. He was the highest run-getter in the tournament's first ten overs (401) with a strike rate of 135.02, which is the highest for any batter in the mentioned period. His attacking approach not only provided flying starts to the side but it also provided scoring momentum which was taken ahead by other batters. Also, his high-risk approach helped him smack most sixes in a single edition of the World Cup.

His fireworks with the bat were not only his strong suit but he also mellowed down the approach when required. For example, in the game against England, he played a knock of 87 from 101 balls where other batters struggled to score. A dream start at the top laid a foundation for a decent total and the middle order capitalised on it fully.

Kohli's anchor role and the middle order's supportive hand

Just like an aggressive batter is needed in the lineup to excel in the limited-over games, a batter who can play an anchor role is quintessential. Virat Kohli stepped up to the situation and took responsibility on his shoulders. While Rohit Sharma provided a launchpad for the Indian batting unit, Kohli's stay at the crease ensured a continuous flow of runs. His breathtaking stroke-play, world-class technique, and immaculate consistency made him the top run-getter of the tournament with 765 runs at a sensational average of 95.62 across 11 innings. India's star batter not only shattered several records in the tournament but he allowed other batters to play without any pressure of the scoreboard with his anchor role.

Also, wicket-keeper-batter KL Rahul, who had injured his hamstring in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and batter Shreyas Iyer, who was out of action for six weeks due to a back injury silenced all the critics, who were doubting their form after a return from an injury. Both the batters averaged above 50 and played a key role in the middle role helping the team set decent totals.

Hardik Pandya's injury: Curse turning out to be a blessing

Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur were playing the role of the fifth bowler for the team in the initial games but they faced their biggest fear in the game against Bangladesh. Hardik Pandya hurt his left ankle and India missed out on a two-in-one player as a result. However, the team changed their strategy completely after the all-rounder's absence and opted to strengthen the bowling unit with the inclusion of pacer Mohammed Shami. Shami proved his worth right from the start offering all sorts of trouble for the opposition batters.

The magnificent pacer scalped 24 wickets from seven innings with a mind-boggling average of 10.70 and an incredible strike rate of 12.20. His exploits also included three five-wicket hauls, which showcases the lethal bowling he produced in the tournament. The balancing act after Pandya's exit paved the way for the Shami factor to enter the scenario and that made India a formidable bowling unit.

While Shami was the chief architect of India's road to the final with his wicket-taking ability, Jasprit Bumrah was another protagonist in the story, who exerted pressure on the opposition batters by restricting run flow. He was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament but more importantly second bowler in terms of best economy rates following Ravichandran Ashwin, who played only one match in the tournament. Bumrah leaked runs at an economy of only 4.06 from 91.5 overs, which is magnificent considering the ease with which batters score runs in the modern era.

Spinners were also brilliant with their economy and both Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav bowled over 90 overs in the tournament while registering an economy of 4.25 and 4.45 respectively.

A heartbreak to end a fairytale run

While individual performance can win matches, a collective performance is necessary to lift the Silverware. India was performing like an elite side to make it to the final and so they were tagged as favourites by many ahead of the summit clash against Australia. The optimism also emerged from the fact that the 'Men in Blue' had an opportunity to end the Trophy drought of 10 years in the ICC events.

However, the usual successful template in the tournament didn't work for India this time around. They were sent in to bat first and the pitch looked extremely difficult to score in the first innings. Rohit Sharma once again provided a flier but the inning progression was never the same after his dismissal and India was wrapped up on a total of 240 as a result. The total was too small but Indian bowlers sparked a glimmer of hope when they reduced Australia to 47 for 3 inside the first seven overs. However, opener Travis Head's counterattack blew away Rohit and Co. after that and Australia won the game by six wickets lifting the trophy as a result. Shami and Bumrah were lethal once again in their opening spell but the other bowlers failed to show the similar kind of discipline they had shown earlier.