Legendary Pakistan fast-bowler Wasim Akram feels India’s middle order did not play with a do or die attitude in the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Australia beat India by 6 wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift their 6th ODI World Cup title.
India managed posting 240 runs on the scoreboard in the first innings on thge back of half-centuries from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. Rahul scored 66 runs off 107 balls, hitting just one boundary.
Speaking to Star Sports, Akram said India’s middle order should have played with a do or die mindset in the final. Apart from Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, none of the Indian batters scored with a strike rate of over 100 in the final.
“If I have to pick any particular reason, I suppose the middle order should have played with a ‘do or die’ mindset. I can understand what was going through Rahul’s mind, that there was no batting to come after Jadeja and that he had to bat deep, and batting deep meant he couldn’t take risks of getting out,” said Akram.
He went on to say that Rahul would jhave taken risks if all-rounder Hardik Pandya was playing and India had the extra batter. Australia chased down India’s target with 6 wickets in hand thanks to a brilliant century from opener Travis Head.
“If possibly Hardik was in the team, he (Rahul) probably would take that risk. But, if he had taken a risk and gotten out in this situation, then people would have criticised him for that as well. If they had kept pace and scored quickly in the middle overs, then it would have been a different ball game,” Akram added.
