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Suresh Raina, former Indian cricketer and 2011 World Cup winner, has identified a pivotal factor that contributed to Australia‘s success in the ODI World Cup 2023 final against India. Raina expressed his views in a column for the ICC, two days after Australia secured its sixth 50-over World Cup title.
Pat Cummins’ tactical masterstroke
In a surprising move, Australian captain Pat Cummins chose to put India to bat in the final, a decision that countered the preference of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. As the final unfolded, Cummins’ unconventional decision proved beneficial for the Australian team. They successfully limited the undefeated Men in Blue to 240 in their allotted 50 overs.
Suresh Raina’s analysis: decoding Australia’s strategic brilliance
Raina attributed India’s restricted total to Cummins’ captaincy, highlighting the effective rotation of bowlers and strategic fielding changes aligned with the game plan. In his analysis, Raina credited Cummins’ captaincy and tactical maneuvers as key elements in Australia’s triumph.
“What swung the game in Australia’s favour was Pat Cummins’ captaincy. The way he brought Glenn Maxwell in to the attack to get the wicket of Rohit Sharma with a brilliant catch from Travis Head was very smart. Adam Zampa was great too, as was Cummins himself in dismissing Virat Kohli. They outplayed India and were very solid in their planning,” Raina was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
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Fielding prowess: Australia’s defensive excellence and impact
Raina expressed the opinion that Cummins and his team demonstrated superior planning, outplaying India in the title clash. The 36-year-old also commended Australia for their exceptional fielding performance during the final, emphasizing that their diving and desperate stops on the field saved a significant 30-40 runs.
“Another big factor was Australia’s fielding, I think they saved 30 to 40 runs. From ball one, they were saving a lot of singles and boundaries. There was Travis’ catch and some excellent work in the deep from David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne,” the 36-year-old added.
“I think Cummins showed real temperament in his captaincy. He changed his bowlers knowing he could put pressure on each India batter even though they were all in such good form. His tactics made all the difference, and his planning and execution was perfect,” the Muradnagar-born cricketer concluded.
