India are best ODI team despite not winning ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Sanjay Manjrekar

India lost to Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final.

Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the Indian cricket team for their performance in the recent ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and called them the best ODI team at the moment despite not winning the title. India lost to Australia in the final in Ahmedabad on November 19.

Australia had won the toss and chosen to bowl first. India only managed to post 240 runs with KL Rahul and Virat Kohli scoring fifties and Rohit Sharma making 47.  In response, despite being in trouble at one stage at 47/3, Australia bounced back thanks to Travis Head’s 137 and Marnus Labuschagne’s 58* and their 192-run partnership.

Australia won the final by 6 wickets and lifted the CWC trophy for the sixth time.

“It’s six World Cup titles for Australia now. Next best are India and West Indies with two each. The big takeaway for me from Ahmedabad was how an unconvincing entrant into the final was able to reach true excellence when generally a stage like this gets most to fumble.

This unprecedented performance of Australia in this World Cup started even before the first ball was bowled. One of the most brilliant decisions you will see was taken at the toss, and I said this on the TV coverage the moment Pat Cummins said we will field first,” Sanjay Manjrekar wrote in Hindustan Times.

India losing the toss, for me was huge factor: Sanjay Manjrekar says while still calling India the best ODI side

Sanjay Manjrekar felt that India losing the toss was a huge factor in their loss in the CWC final.

“India losing the toss, for me was a huge factor, all of us who saw the pitch before the match felt that it just gave the weaker team, Australia, more ammunition. The rough surface meant the ball moved off the seam a little and also didn’t skid onto the bat in the afternoon. That phenomenon took care of Shreyas Iyer. The reverse swing got KL Rahul.

India’s final hope Surya also could not produce his T20 magic, because of the sluggishness of the pitch, so it was impossible for India to recover after losing early wickets,” Manjrekar added.

However, despite all the shortcomings and defeat in the final, Manjrekar still believes that India are the best ODI side in the world.

“To put it simply, the 10/10 India was beaten by the conditions first and then by a team who when it mattered, had individuals who dug deep to find the champion within. I believe India is still the best 50 overs team in the world, just that they don’t have the World Cup to show for it,” he added.