India won the four-match Test series 2-1 in Australia despite missing a number of key players due to injuries.
This is the second successive WTC final for India having played it last time only to lose to New Zealand. On the other hand, Australia played some high quality cricket right through this edition to make their first final appearance.
Ahead of the marquee clash, the two captains – Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins – came together to address an event called “An Evening with Test Cricket Legends at The Oval", hosted by veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle.
During the event, Rohit said the series win Down Under in 2020-21 was the highlight of India’s Test cricket in the last couple of years.
Notably, India won the four-match Test series 2-1 despite missing a number of key players due to injuries or personal reasons.
“The last couple of years, after the covid, the times weren’t that great. People were stuck indoors, we were in the bubble, we didn’t know what to expect. A lot of our younger boys were quite upset about that. But you need to beat the odds and come out of that situation," Rohit said at the event.
“I thought the way we played in Australia was the top highlight. After losing the first Test in Adelaide and then coming back shows the depth of the team as well. We had a lot of injuries as well. Though I was part of the last two games I knew what the team was going through.
“We held our nerves and we came out on top but there was a lot of groundwork there behind the scenes as well for us to get that result. A lot of young guys stepped in and turned things around for us. A lot of senior players were missing on that trip. So, yeah… that was certainly the best cricket we played outside India," he added.
Earlier this year, India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home by a 2-1 margin. The pitches served during the series were a major topic of debate.
Recalling the series win against Australia under his captaincy, Rohit said: “Then again, the last series against India was exciting. Tough conditions, challenging pitches but we managed to go through that."
(CricketNext Inputs)