There couldn't have been a worse anti-climax than what happened with the high-flying Indian team in the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as the only loss for the Men in Blue came in the final after winning 10 matches in a row. A huge occasion marked by the presence of various delegates from all walks of life, performances, air show amid huge build-up and the pressure of the big finale got to the Indian team as they were bowled out for 240 and Australia chased it with very little problem with six wickets remaining.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too was in attendance and even though the match was almost over when he graced his presence in Ahmedabad, he stayed till the end. PM Modi not only presented the trophy to Australian skipper Pat Cummins but also gave a comforting pep talk to the Indian players post the match, to console them after a heartbreaking loss to the now six-time champions.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were inconsolable but PM Modi asked the boys to chin up saying, "Aap log pura 10-10 game jeet ke aaye ho, ye to hota rehta hai (You have come to the final after winning 10 games, these things happen)."
PM Modi then shook hands with all the players and coach Rahul Dravid while hugging Mohammed Shami, praising him for his performance in the tournament. "Chin up. All of you make sure that you lift the spirits of each other," Modi further added while inviting the whole team to Delhi at his residence for a more detailed discussion.
Watch the video here:
India saw a window of opportunity when they had Australia 47/3 inside the powerplay but Travis Head closed it with back-to-back Man of the Match performance as he became the third Australian to smash a ton in the final.
