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India’s wait for their next ICC trophy continues as they lost to Australia in the World Test Championship final on Sunday at The Oval. Needing 280 runs to win with seven wickets in hand on Day 5, Team India was bundled out for 234 within the first session as Australia registered a victory by 209 runs. With this win, Australia became the first team to clinch all four ICC titles. For India, it was another heartbreak as their batting order failed to deliver on the same ground, where Australian batters had set a huge target of 444.
After the defeat, India head coach Rahul Dravid expressed disappointment over his responsibilities and stated that things could have been different if they would have got three weeks’ time to practice.
“Never going to be happy with the prep as a coach (enough preparation time?) . But that’s the reality we are faced with. Coming here three weeks earlier, having a practice game would be ideal. But we have to make do with what we can. Don’t think we should make excuses,” Dravid told Star Sports after the match.
“We are getting close (trophy drought?). We’re getting to semis, to final. Just that we haven’t played the best cricket on the day. No one wants it more than the players. Can’t fault their efforts. Just haven’t played our best cricket on the occasion,” he added.
The head coach further criticised India’s bowling attack for giving away too many runs and stated that The Oval was not a “469 pitch.”
“It was obviously difficult (the target). There’s always a hope no matter how far we’re behind. Many Tests over the last 2 years where we’ve fought hard from difficult situation. Needed a big partnership, we had the big players for it, but they had the upper hand. This can happen. It wasn’t a 469 pitch. Gave away too many in the last session (on Day 1). We knew what lines and lengths to bowl. Our lengths weren’t bad but we probably bowled too wide. Gave room to Head. Some of the shots we played, maybe we could’ve been more careful,” said Dravid.
“There was a lot of grass on the wicket, and conditions were cloudy (decision to bowl?). We’ve seen in England batting gets easier. There wasn’t much help on Day 4 or 5 if you saw. We got them on 70/3, but then let it slip away,” he added.
Notably, India won their last ICC title back in 2013 after they defeated England in the final of the Champions Trophy.
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