Cricket World Cup 2015: We failed to play a great game

India’s World Cup journey has come to an end as the team ran out of steam against Australia. It is a disappointing moment for many, especially the 11 men who worked hard on the field to stop a determined Australia. But India were beaten by a team that prepared better and played better.

Australia has always been a strong team at home. They had the measure of the opposition teams right through the tournament, barring that narrow loss to New Zealand in the league stage. But they learnt a few lessons and only improved with every game to reach a stage where they shut the door on a strong India.

India was a good combination. The batsmen had scored runs at crucial stages and the bowlers seemed to have got their line and length right in the run up to the semi-final. But they went haywire at the most crucial point of the tournament and ended up giving the batsmen a stiff task.

The margin of defeat says it all. To lose a semi-final by 95 runs must embarrass any team aspiring for the title. However, it was not so gloomy when India began the charge at the stiff, but gettable, target. I know 329 was a tough ask, some may say monumental, but did India not have the batting line up to scale the peak?

The start was promising. Rohit Sharma was in form. Shikhar Dhawan has the potential to make the most of the conditions. His game is built on aggression and this was just the platform for him to leave a mark. Sadly, his shot selection let him down. His dismissal came at a wrong time and as the match progressed India suffered because of lack of partnerships.

India had played well to reach the semi-final. There was purpose in the way each member of the team had approached the game and handled his responsibilities.

Only big challenges produce champions. I expected India’s batting to rise. If it did not, the blame was collective and let us not point out individuals for the loss. This was a young side and my only apprehension was the lack of experience. The team of 2011 was well-equipped in this aspect and MS Dhoni played his part well this time too.

What matters the most in big matches is temperament. Handling a tricky situation sometimes brings out the best out of a player, but not always so. The pressure at this level can be enormous and I could sense that in the way Virat Kohli got out.

The first round went to Australia when they won the toss. I was surprised by Dhoni’s body language at losing the toss. He looked down and that is the reason why he seemed to be playing the waiting game today.

It was very unlike Dhoni. He appeared more defensive in this match. But he has led the team exceptionally well and hats off to him for inspiring the team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup after a disappointing Test and tri-series.

Batting first is always better and Australia seized the initiative by piling up a total that was going to demand discipline and commitment from the Indians. The pressure is less when a team bats first and Australia proved it with a brilliant show.

The Indian bowlers had not been tested so far. Let this not be treated as an excuse, but it did matter in this match. There was a drop in the performance of the bowlers as they ran into the team that had troubled them the whole summer. Their line and length suffered and subsequently, their reputation.

Australia had done their homework well. The way Michael Clarke attacked with aggressive field positions showed they had a positive mindset. Kohli’s wicket was planned as they first choked him for runs and the batsmen succumbed to his impulse to play a big shot. The pressure on him had mounted even though he had faced just 12 balls. He loves to get going quickly but this was not his day. He must sort out his game and keep his head cool. In this match, he lost the race to Johnson.

I had my worries about Ravindra Jadeja. It is always good when your captain backs you, and Jadeja has found support from Dhoni. But he has not made much impression with his batting and his bowling too made no impact on the Australians.

Once again, R Ashwin was the best bowler on show but he alone could not make the difference. The Indian bowlers did not rise to expectations, and the Australians were not going to waste the opportunities.

The Indian fast bowlers have done exceedingly well on the Australian tour, but made the mistake of pitching short in Sydney.

This Indian team needs to be encouraged. There are some very gifted players who can be groomed for the next World Cup. Youngsters like Axar Patel would have grown by being part of the team.

Hats off to this Indian team for making it to the semi-finals. They lost to an opponent that played better cricket when it counted.