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India‘s heartbreaking defeat in the pinnacle clash of the ODI World Cup 2023 has left cricket enthusiasts and experts grappling for answers. Despite an impressive unbeaten streak throughout the tournament, the Rohit Sharma-led side crumbled against the Aussies in a mind-boggling turn of events.
The post-mortem of Men in Blue’s performance has become a topic of intense discussion, with opinions flying from all quarters. Adding an intriguing perspective to the analysis, former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir has pinpointed a key player he believes played the main role in India’s humiliating loss.
What went wrong for India? Mohammad Amir’s opinion
Amir highlighted three pivotal moments in the match that signalled the sluggish nature of the pitch. He first noted the contrast between Shubman Gill‘s dismissal and Virat Kohli‘s entrance, where Kohli swiftly scored three fours at a brisk strike rate. The second instance involved Rohit , who managed to hit a six and a four off Glenn Maxwell but was subsequently dismissed. The speedster stressed the awareness of the forthcoming batters potentially encountering challenges on the slow pitch.
“There were three crucial moments when it was evident that the pitch was slow. First, when Shubman Gill got out, Virat Kohli entered and immediately scored three fours with a strike rate of 100-plus. Then, Rohit Sharma joined in, hitting a six and four off Glenn Maxwell before getting out. As the captain, knowing that the upcoming batters might face difficulties,” Amir said on the show Haarna Mana Hai.
Also READ: Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne shares experience of Indian players’ sledging in ODI World Cup 2023 final
Who destroyed the game for India? Mohammad Amir names the player
Amir further expressed confusion over KL Rahul‘s unusually slow innings, noting that it placed additional pressure on Virat. The Changa Bangial-born cricketer observed that Rahul is typically a player known for playing with a good strike rate and mentioned that the right-handed batter’s slow approach had a detrimental impact on the overall flow of the Indian innings, ultimately contributing to their challenges in the match.
“I don’t know, for whatever reason, Rahul played a very slow innings. He built the pressure on Kohli. He (Rahul) is not a player who plays slowly. He plays with a good strike. I feel that destroyed the Indian innings,” the 31-year-old added.
