Wtc Final News

Discussing India's defeat in WTC final against Australia, ex-India spinner Harbhajan Singh said, "You cannot give yourself fake confidence by winning matches in 2.5 days on bad pitches, where...ball spins from...first day." "Your pacers don't bowl at all in India. Your spinners come from the first over," added Harbhajan. "You'll have to put in...effort for five days," he stated.

Ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly said India head coach Rahul Dravid will have to pay attention towards the batting averages of Indian batters in overseas conditions, after India's defeat against Australia in WTC final. "You can't beat good teams with...average of 26," he added. "You've to come up with match-winning performances...[like] MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir did in 2011," he stated.

Talking about the slow over-rate in WTC final which has resulted in India being fined 100% of their match fee, ex-England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted, "Fines don't work." "Awarding...[20 runs per over] to the batting team at the end of the day's play could be the only way," added Vaughan. Australia have been fined 80% of their match fee.

Talking about Ravichandran Ashwin not being included in India's lineup for WTC 2023 final against Australia, ex-India pacer Venkatesh Prasad tweeted, "Nathan Lyon showed what great spinners could've done on this track." "Some decisions were poor including the decision to not play the world's number one bowler," added Prasad. "Only Ajinkya Rahane was the shining light for India," he stated.

Ex-Australia captain Ricky Ponting said the difference between India and Australia in the WTC 2023 final was the fact that Australia's big name players "really stood up" during the match. "Steve Smith [who scored 121 in Australia's first innings] led the way," added Ponting. "[India were]...completely outplayed...at 'The Oval' by a very good Australian cricket team," he had earlier stated.

Discussing Virat Kohli's dismissal in India's second innings of WTC 2023 final, Australia's David Warner said, "We knew if we could hang it out there a little bit, Kohli was itching to have a drive." "You should ask Kohli what shot he played. He talks so much about how...[you need a long innings] to win a match," reacted Sunil Gavaskar.

Talking about India's loss in the WTC final against Australia, former India captain Sourav Ganguly said he doesn't believe "it is time to look beyond" players like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. "Let's not come to conclusions with just one loss. India will always have talent," he added. Kohli scored 14 and 49 runs in first and second innings respectively.

Reacting to India not playing world number one Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin in WTC final, ex-India captain Sunil Gavaskar said, "If there was world number one batter in the team, would he have been left out?" He added, "No other top-class Indian cricketer in the modern era has been treated as bafflingly as Ashwin has been."

Commentator Aakash Chopra, while discussing India's 209-run defeat against Australia in the WTC final, highlighted that only Rohit Sharma, among all batters in India's team, had an average of over 40 in this decade in Tests. "Rohit has an average of 43.2...Shubman Gill has an average of 32...Cheteshwar Pujara has [averaged] 29.69. Virat Kohli has absolutely identical numbers," added Aakash.

Referring to Shubman Gill's controversial dismissal during India's second innings in the WTC final against Australia, Wasim Jaffer said that the 23-year-old was "hard done by". Jaffer added, "There was a big gap between Cameron Green's fingers." Jaffer further highlighted that not "many" replays were shown even in other decisions that were referred to the third umpire.

Talking about the WTC final, ex-Australia pacer Glenn McGrath said India needing 280 runs on Day 5 with seven wickets in hand against Australia might sound "gettable" but there was lot of pressure on the Rohit Sharma-led side. "Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane needed to put on a big partnership," stated McGrath. India lost last seven wickets for 55 runs.

Discussing Shubman Gill's dismissal following a low catch by Australia's Cameron Green in WTC final, ex-Australia pacer Glenn McGrath said, "Most of those catches are out." "We find ways to give it not out...I was happy with [the catch]," added McGrath. "If the ball is touching the ground...then it is not out," ex-India captain Sunil Gavaskar had earlier reacted.

Commentator Sanjay Manjrekar said "one or two batters" were in form in India's top six in Tests, in the last three years. "The rest were perpetually out of form...Rishabh Pant...would keep India in the game," added Manjrekar. He stated that the average of India's top four in Tests since 2022 is 33.4, which is lower than Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Reacting to India captain Rohit Sharma calling for a best-of-three format for WTC final, former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath said, "I'm happy with a one-off [Test]." "I think to play three Tests, you're [going to] find it tough to get it into [the] scheduling," McGrath stated. Rohit made the comments after Australia defeated India in the WTC final.

Talking about India's defeat in WTC 2023 final, ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly said, "Mohammed Siraj threw a ball [at] Steve Smith...[on] Day 2...and then India's bowling became different." "Such intent was missing on Day 1," added Ganguly. Siraj threw the ball in anger after Smith pulled out from a delivery late. They were also seen getting involved in verbal fight.

Ex-India opener Wasim Jaffer said Ajinkya Rahane's performance in WTC 2023 final indicates that experience can't be bought. "In such a big game, you needed an experienced player and we got to see that in WTC final...It was the only opportunity for Rahane," added Jaffer. Rahane scored 89 and 46 runs respectively in India's first, second innings of WTC final.

Discussing his dismissal in the first innings of WTC 2023 final against India after playing a reverse sweep, Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey said Virat Kohli and Steve Smith told him, "What are you doing that for?" "My wife is the harshest critic of the reverse [sweep]. She says, 'Do not play the bloody reverse sweep!'" Carey had earlier stated.