The pre-match hype seems misplaced, but only in hindsight. The final is going to be a fight of the host nations, similar to 2011 and arguably between the two best teams of the tournament.
India’s capitulation was a bit baffling. In my last column, I mentioned that all the pre-World Cup domination will count for nothing but I have been proved wrong. Australia’s stranglehold was constricting, and one has to accept that India was beaten by a superior side. The toss played a vital role, and I don’t mean it as an excuse. It was a very good pitch to bat on and any help the bowlers got would have been in the second half under the floodlights.
One must accept that all the discipline the Indian bowlers exhibited post-Tests and the tri-series vanished. Balls were sprayed down the leg which must have left skipper M.S. Dhoni flummoxed. But for R. Ashwin, India may have ended up chasing a bigger total.
Occasions such as these are when one gets to see why certain individuals are called big-match players. For the second match running, Steve Smith was the standout player.
India has an enviable record chasing 300-plus targets, albeit in the subcontinent, and was looking on course but for an untimely shot by Shikhar Dhawan. For me, that was the game-changer.
Big matches are also about clinching big moments and stitching them together. Here, I must say Australia outdid India. Virat Kohli and Dhoni are regarded as all-time greats when it comes to hunting totals but the former’s failure dented any chance India had.
Dhoni was extremely candid in his post-match chat. India has had a wonderful World Cup but it returns home without having beaten Australia even once in the last four months. It will hurt them for long.
