Rahul Dravid Post-Match Interview: In the aftermath of India’s defeat to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, Rahul Dravid defended his team’s approach, stating they didn’t play with fear during the middle overs. Despite acknowledging that India fell “30–40 runs short” of a good total, Dravid attributed the slowdown to the loss of wickets at regular intervals, emphasizing it wasn’t due to a lack of intent.
Rahul Dravid Post-Match Interview
“I won’t agree that we played with fear. We had 80 runs in ten overs. We had lost wickets, and when you lose wickets, you have to change your strategy,” Dravid said to the media.
Rohit Sharma’s quick 47 off 31 balls provided a strong start, but India managed only four boundaries in the rest of their innings, finishing on 240. Dravid explained that a period of consolidation was needed after losing wickets, and every attempt to go on the attack resulted in further wickets.
“We haven’t played any fearful cricket in this final. In the middle overs, they bowled really well, and we had lost three wickets. So a period of consolidation was needed, and every time we thought we could get on the attack, we would lose a wicket. If you lose wickets, you have to rebuild. We didn’t set out to play defensively.”
Dravid believed the game could have unfolded differently had India scored more runs on a challenging afternoon batting surface. He noted that the ball was stopping more in the afternoon than in the evening, affecting India’s boundary-scoring ability. With 240 on the board, Dravid felt Australia was always one partnership away from reaching the target.
- CHECK OUT: Rahul Dravid About Rohit Sharma
Rahul Dravid About Rohit Sharma
The defeat marked another near-miss for India in global events, following a T20 World Cup semi-final exit and a loss in the World Test Championship final. Dravid commended Rohit Sharma’s leadership and batting throughout the World Cup, describing him as an exceptional leader committed to playing positive and attacking cricket.
“I think he has been an exceptional leader; I’ve always felt he’s led this team fantastically well,” he said. “He’s given so much of his time and energy in the dressing room to the boys. There’s been a lot of planning and a lot of strategy; he’s always been committed to those things.
“We knew that we wanted to play a certain way; we wanted to play a positive, attacking brand of cricket, and he was very committed to doing that. He wanted to lead by example, and I thought right throughout the tournament he was superb. I can’t speak more highly of him as a person and a leader.”
Despite the emotional disappointment in the dressing room, Dravid expressed confidence that the team would learn from the experience, reflect on it, and move forward. He emphasized the transient nature of highs and lows in sports, urging the team to keep moving forward and not be disheartened by the loss.
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