Rohit threw away his wicket while going for a big shot against Maxwell in the World Cup final.
Rohit batted with a fearless approach throughout the marquee event, amassing 597 runs from 11 innings at an impressive average of 54.27 and a remarkable strike rate of 125.94, including one hundred and three fifties.
In the final, Rohit persisted with his attacking style. The right-handed opener took on the Aussie bowlers in the first powerplay en route to 47 in 31 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes. However, he gifted his wicket while going for a big shot against Glenn Maxwell in the 10th over.
After India lost the World Cup final by six wickets, Rohit Sharma received flak from some quarters for his adventurous attempt to hit Maxwell out of the ground.
However, veteran India spinner R Ashwin has defended Rohit’s approach, saying that the Indian captain "doesn't need to be taught to score hundreds".
"Everybody says in hindsight that he would score 100 if he carried on, but it was his intent that made the team play in such a way. Rohit Sharma doesn't need to be taught to score hundreds - he has had quite a lot - but it is the intent which counts," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The seasoned off-spinner admitted that he was stunned by Australia's decision to bowl first in the final, but also lauded Pat Cummins and selector George Bailey for reading the pitch perfectly.
"Australia were practically outstanding in the final. I was shell-shocked to see their tactics. Australia has deceived me personally, as their history goes by, they say 'we are going to have a bat, mate!' after winning the toss in the big finals," Ashwin said.
"I was praying to the lord that Australia should do that, because many people do not understand that the soil in Ahmedabad was like Odisha's, as in, it played like how any soil taken from the eastern part of the country would play - if every pitch gets bounce until the knee, this would get bounce only up to the shin," he further stated.
"The bounce will be less, but the soil won't disintegrate because the clay does not release the moisture, but holds it," Ashwin remarked.
Talking about the World Cup 2023 final, Indian batters failed to get going on a slow pitch and managed to post only 240/10 in 50 overs after being asked to bat first.
In reply, the Aussies rode on Travis Head’s stunning hundred (137 off 120) and Marnus Labuschagne’s unbeaten half-century (58 off 110) to overhaul the target with 42 balls to spare.