Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

The great Indian dream kept slip-sliding away before dying a slow death. It was fun as long as it lasted. But it was not to linger. Australia overpowered India in every department to clinch a sixth World Cup amidst an ocean of blue in Ahmedabad. This was a great Indian World Cup team. Better, perhaps, than those which won the titles in 1983 and 2011. In the end, however, this remained India’s greatest-ever 10-match ODI team. They came, saw and conquered, but just for that many games. Travis Head, with the bat, was obviously the biggest thorn in India’s flesh.…

Ahmedabad: Rohit Sharma had launched his tirade against the bowlers and was threatening to run away with the game. A miscued lofted shot flew over the cover region, and Travis Head suddenly grew wings to catch it on the dive, running backwards. It was one of the numerous stunning fielding efforts by the Australians in the first 15 overs of the World Cup final. Lucknow: David Warner was patrolling the deep mid-wicket fence like a terrier in Australia’s do-or-die match after two straight defeats. He came up with two brilliant, tumbling catches after covering huge ground to help his team…

For a country that worships its cricket superstars, India owes a significant debt of gratitude for its two World Cup final wins to two foot soldiers. They were not lesser names when it came to their stature in the game, but relatively smaller characters compared to some bigger figures in those teams. At Lord’s in 1983, Madan Lal rose above the likes of Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar and turned the final in India’s favour by taking three wickets, including the big ones of Viv Richards and Desmond Haynes. Those were body blows from which the West Indies never recovered…

If one had to pick the best side of the 2023 World Cup, it would be India. This has been their tournament. No team after Australia in 2003 has dominated with such authority. India have possibly been more ruthless, albeit more politely, in decimating opponents match after match. The time has come for that one last push. The game they had been preparing for. It’s true that India, like most other teams, took it one match at a time. They did not fast forward or think of the reward before accomplishing the mission. But they have been waiting for this…

Lucknow: David Warner was patrolling the deep mid-wicket fence like a terrier in Australia’s do-or-die match after two straight defeats. He came up with two brilliant, tumbling catches after covering huge ground to help his team derail a strong Sri Lankan start. Dharamsala: Australia had to defend 19 in the last over. New Zealand got a lifeline thanks to five wides off what was to be the second ball. Glenn Maxwell at long-on and Marnus Labuschagne at deep mid-wicket then came up with superlative efforts to stop certain fours. Their team won by four runs. Kolkata: Australia were on top…

His name is not mentioned in discussions on the coolest captains. He does not figure in the lists of top bowlers or batters in this World Cup. He is not among the most influential players when it comes to ODIs. But in his own and quiet ways, Pat Cummins has stood tall. He is not the prototype of a typical Australian captain. He does not shoot his mouth off. There is no aggression in his body language, no berating the opponent or provocative statements. Unlike some of his famous predecessors, he does not play mind games before matches. Cummins the…

It’s said that ‘a captain is good as his team’. Looking at this marauding Indian machine at the World Cup and the man at the helm, it’s tempting to say that a team is as good as its captain. Rohit Sharma has led from the front, and by example. He has set the template and demonstrated how to implement it. His aggression has sent early shivers down opposition spines. And, like a true captain, he does not mind sacrificing himself so that his teammates could build the innings from the comfort zone of the early pace set by him. The…

Catches win matches, tosses don’t. Batting first or second has not really been a factor in this World Cup. Teams chasing a target have won 22 matches and teams setting a target 23. The 45 matches played in the league stage could not have seen a more even distribution. It’s been exactly the same when it comes to India. They won five matches batting second and four batting first. There was no definite preference either. Rohit Sharma won the toss four times. He opted to bowl and bat twice each. This was the best example of a team comfortable doing…

The Indian campaign in this World Cup has been characterised by a certain relentlessness. They have kept going at the opposition, whoever that may be, with all that they have, match after match. There was no let-up in that and no changes in the XI despite this being a low-pressure game. The Netherlands suffered a 160-run defeat as a result. India’s ninth consecutive win was highlighted by a superlative performance with the bat. The top five scored in excess of 50, with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul smashing centuries. The innings started with a flurry of shots. The aggressive intent…

An overlooked trait of this Indian team is the management’s decision to persist with players. Captain, coach and selectors should be lauded for it. They backed the players they thought could do the job and gave them opportunities, even when they failed. Suryakumar Yadav got out for three successive first-ball ducks against Australia earlier this year. Most other teams would have dumped a player for that. This Indian set-up did not do that. Kuldeep Yadav and Shreyas Iyer are similar examples, so is Shardul Thakur, although he is not part of the XI at the moment. These players were made…