'Cannot be Explained': Mohammad Shami Still Not Sure ‘What Went Wrong’ In ODI World Cup Final

It has been more than a month since India lost the ICC ODI World Cup final to Australia but the Indian fans are yet to get over the nightmarish memory. Despite putting up a dominant performance throughout the campaign, the Men in Blue failed to overcome the final hurdle. Mohammad Shami, who was one of the standout performers for India in the home campaign, has recently opened up about the heartbreaking loss in the final where Australia clinched the victory to claim their record-extending sixth title.

According to the veteran pacer, Team India tried to give its best in every match but could not continue the momentum in the summit clash. Shami, however, could not explain where they made a mistake in the final.

Winning the toss, Australia chose to bowl first, considering the batting-friendly nature of the Ahmedabad surface. The plan clicked well as India faced a rare batting collapse in the first innings.

Riding on the gritty knocks from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, the hosts managed to set a target of 241 runs. Coming to defend the paltry total, India pulled off a commanding start, with Mohammed Shami getting the better of David Warner in the second over.

Australia went on to lose two more wickets soon but bounced back in style. Travis Head struck a match-winning century, while Marnus Labuschagne scored an unbeaten 58. Australia finally gunned down the chase in 43 overs with six wickets in hand.

Referring to the disheartening outcome of the match, Mohammed Shami said, “The whole nation was disappointed when India lost the World Cup. We tried our hundred per cent to continue the momentum till the end that we had created and won the final. But, it cannot be explained, where we went wrong at the end.”

Shami finished the home World Cup as the highest wicket-taker. He joined the squad late after all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the tournament due to an ankle injury. In his seven appearances, Shami picked a total of 24 wickets including a seven-wicket haul in the semi-final against New Zealand. The 33-year-old speedster is now the leading wicket-taker for India in the history of the ODI World Cup. Shami was slated to feature in the ongoing two-match Test series against South Africa. But he had to pull out of the overseas assignment owing to an injury.