Head coach Rahul Dravid of Team India has stressed that the players have moved on from the disappointing defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. They are now eagerly anticipating showcasing their best in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup final. Dravid also mentioned that they were wellprepared for the ODI World Cup final last year but acknowledged Australias superior performance on that particular day.
The Men in Blue enjoyed an outstanding home record in the 2023 ODI World Cup, going undefeated into the final. However, it was all for naught as India lost to Australia by six wickets in the summit battle at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Like in the one-day World Cup last year, Team India enters the 2024 T20 World Cup final versus South Africa undefeated. Dravid believes the Men in Blue will be able to overcome the Proteas challenge in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. On the eve of the massive clash, he was cited as saying by news agency PTI:
“Players are very good at moving on from things, recognizing things. So, we will move on from Ahmedabad. I’m sure they will not be thinking about history. It’ll be a fresh day.
“Two good teams, two teams I think that everyone will agree will probably be the top two teams in this tournament. So, deserving finals for both the teams. And, hopefully, it’s a great game of cricket. Hopefully, we fall on the right side.”
Rahul Dravid
India will compete in their third consecutive ICC final on Saturday. They had, however, lost to Australia in their previous two elimination matches.
Prior to the ODI World Cup final, Australia defeated India in the 2023 World Test Championship final. Rahul Dravid, on the other hand, believed that while Team India was well-prepared for the important games, the competition was simply too excellent for them.
“I thought we were very well-prepared in Ahmedabad (ODI WC). We ticked all the boxes and, on that day, the other team played better.
“That’s part of the sport. The other team that’s coming there to play has also obviously reached the final because they’re a good team and they’re playing very good cricket as well.”
Rahul Dravid
Despite Rahul Dravid efforts to downplay the impact of the losses against Australia last year its hard to ignore Indias challenges in ICC knockout matches over the last decade.
Indias fortune in ICC tournaments has waned post their 2013 Champions Trophy triumph leaving them trophyless. Delving into Indias elusive quest to conquer this hurdle Dravid chose optimism and mentioned:
“It is a good thing we have been consistently playing good cricket. We have been in finals in all three formats and credit goes to the players. If we play well and rub of the green goes (our way), we will surely win.”
Rahul Dravid
India advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, but were defeated by England by ten wickets.
“The fact that we’ve played a game in Barbados is nice” – Rahul Dravid
June 20 marked the clash between India and Afghanistan as they embarked on their inaugural Super 8 battle at the legendary Kensington Oval in Bridgetown Barbados.
Batting first the Men in Blue tallied 1818 before restricting Afghanistan to 134 runs. Dravid shared his satisfaction at having played at the venue previously portraying it as a pleasant memory more than a significant advantage.
“Yeah, I mean, just the fact that we’ve played a game in Barbados is nice. It’s nice that we have that familiarity of having played on that surface in the past.
“But again, I think it’s very hard to… We’re not going to get exactly the same wicket that we got last time. I mean, it can be different, right?,” the Indian head coach explained.
Rahul Dravid
India’s previous appearance in the Men’s T20 World Cup final occurred in Dhaka in 2014. Sri Lanka defeated the Men in Blue by six wickets.