Rahul Dravid ended his tenure as Team India’s head coach after team's victory in this year's T20 World Cup. Under Rohit Sharma's leadership, India triumphed over South Africa by seven runs in the final in June, marking the nation’s first ICC title since 2013. Dravid chose not to renew his contract due to family and personal reasons but will be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in Indian cricket history. He is especially recognized for his role in developing talents like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Dravid’s journey to securing the ICC trophy wasn’t without its challenges. In 2023, India faced setbacks with losses in both the WTC final and the ODI World Cup, with the latter being particularly painful. In the ODI World Cup final, Australia defeated India by six wickets in Ahmedabad, thanks to a dominant century from Travis Head, who effortlessly outplayed the home team’s bowlers.
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Indian Bowlers Have Overpowered Travid Head, Opines Rahul Dravid
At the CEAT Cricket Awards event, Dravid shared that Indian bowlers had succeeded in beating Travis Head's bat around 15 times, yet he didn't edge any of them. This highlighted that sometimes, luck plays a crucial role in a team's performance.
"I remember whatever it was, we beat Travis Head's bat 15 times -- he did not touch a single ball. You know, things can go your way sometimes, but you have to stick to the process. I have had time to reflect on it. I have had time to reflect on a lot of things we have done. You do realise, sometimes, you have to do a lot of these things, you have to do the process, you have to do everything right," he said.
"Sometimes at the end of the day, you need a little bit of luck. Sometimes (it is) the skill, but we needed a guy who could keep his foot within one inch of a line," he added.
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India received a heartbreaking defeat in 2023 ODI world cup final against Australia
Chasing a target of 241, Australia achieved 241/4 in just 43 overs, driven by Travis Head's commanding 137 off 120 balls and an unbeaten 58* from Marnus Labuschagne. Head's century proved decisive as he dominated the Indian bowlers and steered his team to victory.
Earlier, India had been dismissed for 240 runs, with half-centuries from KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. Mitchell Starc was the standout performer for Australia, claiming three crucial wickets.
