‘Pichle WTC mein Kya ukhada tha’ -Fans react as Sourav Ganguly says that India are missing Rishabh Pant amidst poor showing in 2023 WTC final
India did not get their bearings right in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. They did not include Ravichandran Ashwin in the side even after it was ascertained that there will be bounce available at the Oval. Even after India reduced Australia to 76-3 at one stage, they failed to seize the opportunity and a lacklusture bowling performance which helped Australia score 469 in the first innings.
India failed to show up with the bat as well as the top order got out cheaply. Rohit Sharma was trapped lbw by Scott Boland. Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill did not help themselves with their questionable dismissals. Both of them left balls that they should have played at and ended up getting bowled. Sourav Ganguly spoke on India’s middle order struggles, and he reckoned that India were missing Rishabh Pant.
Ravindra Jadeja scored 48 off 51 balls for India amidst a poor show by the top order with the bat
Pant has been India’s best batter in Test cricket, of late. But he did not play in the WTC final as he was nursing multiple injuries from a near fatal car accident in 2022 and is still on the road to recovery.
Pant has made 2271 runs in 33 matches at an average of 43.47 and at a strike rate of 73.63. He has the highest score of 159. The left-hander has scored five hundreds and eleven fifties. Before Pant had met with the horrible accident, he had a great series in Bangladesh.
Ravindra Jadeja was the only one who looked sorted with the bat in hand as he scored a stroke-filled 48 off 51 balls with seven fours and one six. For the Indian Team in recent times they have not looked confident with the top order and also the middle order has been brittle against quality spin and not looked at its best against top quality pace. Without the likes of Pant and Jasprit Bumrah for the WTC final, India are missing the X factor that they used to have.
India lost the last WTC final in 2021 to New Zealand and they have not won a world event since 2013 when they were victorious at the Champions Trophy in England under MS Dhoni’s leadership. India will host the 2023 World Cup on home soil for the first time since 2011.
Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/harixz_/status/1667096354815115265?s=20
Ye bahana kab tak banaoge. Kbhi ise miss krte ho kbhi use .isse kuch nhi hota team me positive attitude hona chahiye
— Aditya Singh Chandel (@Aditya35460161) June 9, 2023
#TeamIndia has missed out on @ashwinravi99 too as he is made to sit out by the selection committee
— Gautam Agarwal 🇮🇳 (@gauagg) June 9, 2023
The team also needs quality back ups to the most important playersin the team and we dont
— Ram Nandan IAS (@RC_Cherryboy) June 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/18kingofcricket/status/1667096330572038146?s=20
— ketaki (@violent_swan) June 9, 2023
India is missing a coach like ravi shastri ji
He won us in Australia against Australia with a team of injured players.— Shashank Sharma (@Shankify_99) June 9, 2023
India missing Ashwin
India missing Bumrah
India missing Ishant
India missing Sharyas
India missing Kohli as captain
India missing Dhoni— Sultan Khan (@MainHoonSultan7) June 9, 2023
