Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of India, stated that India should have fought harder against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final.
Moreover, he deemed it absurd to anticipate India scoring 280 runs on the final day with only three batsmen remaining. Virat Kohli (49), Ravindra Jadeja (0), and Ajinkya Rahane (46) all fell shortly after India resumed the final day at 164 for 3 while attempting to chase down the enormous 400-plus-run mark.
On Sunday at The Oval, the Pat Cummins-led side defeated India by 209 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, ending India’s pursuit for the coveted ICC title. India had succumbed to New Zealand in the first WTC final in 2021, and this was their second defeat in the premier competition. Former India cricketer Sourav Ganguly stated that the expectations placed on Rohit Sharma and the squad on the final day of the WTC Final were excessively high, resulting in a lacklustre conclusion for India. Moreover, he indicated that the proposal was not as effective.
“Definitely a letdown, but we had too high expectations for today (Sunday) morning. When there are only three batsmen remaining—Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ajinkya Rahane—280 runs is a lot. In these countries, the fifth day of cricket is distinct because the wickets become unstable and move. From above, it appears extremely level. It is green; however, it lacks speed. It becomes double-paced in England and Australia alike. This is why such runs have likely not been achieved in the last century, Sourav Ganguly stated on Star Sports.
India ought to have fought harder: Ganguly
Former BCCI President Ganguly responded, when asked about India’s potential to perform better, that India should have fought harder against Australia in the ICC WTC final. He even questioned India’s senior coach, Rahul Dravid, about this. “I concur with you that they should have fought harder. Bhajju (Harbhajan Singh) and I even inquired about it with Rahul Dravid. As you yourselves have played cricket and won and lost matches, there is a slight conundrum in asking, but it is sometimes necessary to do so,” he replied.
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