OTD in 2023: India lost ODI World Cup final following an unbeaten streak of 9 wins

Overview

• On the 19th of November in 2023, the Indian Men's Team suffered one of the biggest heartbreaks in cricket's history
• The hosts lost the ODI World Cup final against Australia after being unbeaten in nine consecutive matches in the tournament
• Travis Head's exceptional batting performance coupled with a collective bowling and fielding efforts helped Australia win its sixth ODI World Cup

On the 19th of November in 2023, the Indian Men's Team suffered one of the biggest heartbreaks in cricket's history. The hosts lost the ODI World Cup final against Australia after being unbeaten in nine consecutive matches in the tournament. Travis Head's exceptional batting performance coupled with a collective bowling and fielding efforts helped Australia win its sixth World Cup.

Coming into the final, India was seen as the firm favorite to win, as they weren't challenged enough. India's closest wins came against Australia and New Zealand in the group stage. However, they managed to win it with ease in the end.

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Most of India's wins in the tournament were dominant ones, including the semifinal win over New Zealand. India posted the highest total in the history of ODI World Cup knockouts (397) and stormed into the finals as the absolute favorites to win. On the other hand, Australia barely made it to the final with a thrilling win over South Africa.

Travis Head's exceptional knock helps Australia win its sixth ODI World Cup

Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first. India had a good start, as they were off to 76/1 in their first 9.3 overs. What followed was a shift in momentum, as the Indian batters struggled to score enough runs. In fact, in the middle overs, Indian batters hit a total of two fours and played a lot of dot balls.

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In the end, India posted a total of 240 runs on the board. Although India had Australia at 47/3, it wasn't good enough, as Travis Head went on to play a generational knock of 137(120), which helped them win their sixth ODI World Cup title.