India's dream of lifting their 3rd World Cup title was shattered when they lost the final of World Cup 2023 against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Despite dominating the tournament and looking like the most formidable side, the hosts fell short on the final hurdle as the Aussies won by 6 wickets.
There were loads of expectations on Rohit Sharma's Indian team as they were clearly the tournament favourites and a team to beat. Pakistan Legend Wasim Akram has highlighted the expectations from the Indian side, particularly fans, social media and media.
"I can understand that as a nation it will be tough to get over it because your team played so well throughout the tournament. They won 10 matches on the trot, there was consistency. But television, social media, fans... you all already made India the winner of the World Cup. You accept your mistake too, I'm sorry. You increased the hope of the people because they were playing so well. It's not entirely your fault. They were playing very good cricket. But it came to just one bad game. Credit goes to Australia," Akram said on Star Sports.
Fans of India and Pakistan have an elephant's memory: Akram
The Pakistani icon recalled how the 1999 World Cup loss hit Pakistan, saying that the Indian and Pakistani fans have an elephant's memory. "First of all, the Indian team played really well. It feels like a shock (that they lost in the final), they are down but it's alright. I still get asked about the loss in the 1999 World Cup final. When will our fans forget this? The fans of India and Pakistan have an elephant's memory. It's been 30 years since we lost that final and they still ask me why I opted to bat after winning the toss. So, don't take social media seriously, half of it is just drama," he said. "As a nation, you have to move on, there's another World Cup coming in six months," he added.
