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India and Australia will face each other in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final on Sunday. This match will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India has entered the final after winning 10 matches in a row. Ahead of the title clash against five-time champions Australia, Indian captain Rohit Sharma held a press conference on Saturday and gave candid answers to several questions. He expressed his thoughts on everything from preparations for the final to the exclusion of Mohammed Shami. Let us tell you that Shami had to sit on the bench in the first four matches of the league stage. Shami (23) is currently the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Let us tell you 5 special things from Rohit’s press conference.
In the final: Rohit said, ‘Ever since I became the captain of the team, we have been preparing for this day (final). We had to identify the players according to the format in the last two years. We clarified their role. There was a lot of discussion between the captain and the coach. Role clarity is very important to access this platform. We have tried our best to keep the mindset and role clear. Things have been great so far. Hopefully tomorrow (in the title match) will be good too.
Head Coach Appreciation: Rohit praised head coach Rahul Dravid. He said, “The coach plays a very important role, especially in terms of clarifying the players’ roles. How he played his cricket and how I play mine are very different. However, agreeing on certain things and us having that Giving freedom says a lot about him. What he has done for Indian cricket is huge and he also wants to be a part of this opportunity. The team wants to win the World Cup for him.
Appreciation of Shami: The skipper said, “It was difficult for Shami not to play in the early part of the World Cup. But he was there to help Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah for the team. This shows what a great team man he is. We spoke to him about why Shami was kept out. However, he continued to work hard, which shows the kind of mental state he was in before the tournament. It says a lot about it. Once he got the chance, he did wonders. We can see its performance.
On the playing eleven: India has not made any changes to its playing eleven in the last few matches. When asked if there will be any changes in the final, Rohit said, “We have not decided on the playing eleven. Anyone can play in a team of 15 players. We will evaluate the wicket and then take a decision. Apart from the pitch, we definitely have to pay attention to the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
On the clash with Australia: Pat Cummins-led Australia made a poor start to the ongoing tournament, losing two matches in a row. However, Australia then made a strong comeback and entered the final after winning eight matches in a row. Rohit said, “Australia have won 8 out of 8 matches. They have played good cricket and both teams deserve to reach the final. We know what Australia can do. They are a very complete team. We want to focus on what we want to do. We don’t want to worry about their form but we want to focus on our cricket and our plan.