We were not good enough today: Rohit after India’s defeat

Ahmedabad: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday admitted that his side was not good enough, especially as a batting unit, in the World Cup final against Australia here.

The Aussies bowled out India for a below-par 240 on a tricky pitch and then chased it down in 43 overs for a six-wicket win to bag a record sixth 50-over world title.

“The result hasn’t gone our way and we know that we were not good enough on the day. But I am proud of the team. Honestly, 20-30 runs (more) would’ve been good. We didn’t bat well enough,” said Rohit in the post-match presentation.

Rohit said the team was looking to score around 280 when Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were batting. Kohli and Rahul stitched together a rearguard stand for the fourth wicket to steady India after early blows.

“I thought when KL and Virat were batting, we were looking at 270-280 at that point but we kept losing wickets,” said Rohit.

The 36-year-old credited the way centurion Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne batted and put up a massive 192 runs for the match-winning fourth-wicket stand for the Aussies.

“Australia stitched a big partnership after losing three wickets. With 240 on the board, we wanted early wickets but credit to Travis Head and Marnus. They put us completely out of the game.”

Rohit said the surface got better to bat under lights without using it as an excuse for their poor show.

“I thought the wicket got better to bat under lights. I mean we knew it would be under lights, but I don’t want to give that as an excuse.

“But credit to those two guys (Head and Labuschagne) in the middle for stitching that big partnership for the Aussies,” Rohit noted.

Rahul Dravid, who has invested two years in building a crack ODI unit might have to remain content without that elusive silverware in his cabinet.

Motera was drowned in ‘Ocean of Blue’ in anticipation of World Cup trophy but the 10 emphatic wins on the trot ended in nothingness as India saved their worst for the last scoring a below-par 240 in 50 overs. To their dismay, Australian team under its inspirational skipper Pat Cummins, weathered the early jitters before Head, buoyed by a superlative fielding effort in the afternoon, anchored his team with a chiselled knock that had 15 fours and four sixes.

It was a fantastic knock on a slow track, a perfect display of how to play spinners and pacers alike.

Head had missed first part of the World Cup due to a broken hand but came back at the right time to once again torment the Indians with a hundred after scoring one in that World Test Championship final.

With every six that Head hit, a few hundred of fans left the stadium, the shoulders dropped and suddenly orange was more visible in the stands than blue.

Head needed one ally for this middling total and found a perfect one in Marnus Labuschagne (58 not out off 110 balls), who played the second fiddle to perfection.

It was a battle Australia won tactically and also with brilliant field placement which complemented a fine bowling performance.