SYDNEY: India’s reign as cricket’s world champions is over. Four years after they won the World Cup at home, they bowed out in the semi-finals, beaten by Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

India came into the World Cup with low expectations after struggling during their build-up but lifted themselves up when it mattered.

They went through their six pool matches and easily won their quarter-final against Bangladesh but ran into a red-hot Australian side.

India’s players were disappointed to lose but gracious in defeat, acknowledging that the Australians had played better. For India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it was a moment tinged with sadness.

Four years ago, Dhoni led India to win the World Cup on home soil, setting off one of the biggest celebrations seen in the world’s largest democracy.

India knocked out the Australians in the quarter-finals, ending their run of three successive World Cup titles between 1999 and 2007, and went on to win the final.

“It’s something that doesn’t really belong to anyone. We definitely took it from someone, so somebody took it from us. It’s as simple as that,” Dhoni said. “The best team takes it for four years and then everybody gets their own plans ready, depending on the conditions, and they challenge the one that has the Cup.

“It doesn’t stay with one for long, but that’s how it has been. If we would have played better cricket on this particular day, maybe we would have gone into the final. But that’s how it is. In any international sport you have to be at your best. If not, the Cup gets shared.”

The pressure was just too much for India in the end. They put a spirited defence of their title but chasing more than 300 was a task even beyond them.

“They [Australia] played very good cricket, over 300 is always a difficult score,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation. “I felt it was just over par, they could have had 350.

“We started ‘the chase] okay but they bowled well. But overall, quite happy with where we were at the start of the tournament.

“Shikhar’s dismissal was on the softer side because that was the time when we could have milked the Australian bowling.

“It was not really needed to play a big shot but overall there’s pressure chasing 320 runs and pressure makes you do things you don’t want to.”

He said he was undecided about playing on to the 2019 World Cup but had his eyes on next year’s Twenty20 World Cup being hosted by India.

“I’m 33 and still running, still fit. Next year, World T20, will be time to decide about 2019.”

Next year, the World Twenty20 will be held in India and Dhoni wants to play on. Asked if he had decided to stay or quit, he bounced the question back at the media and asked them to ‘do resea­rch’ on whether he should stay or leave.

“I think you all should do research and whatever you write, the opposite will be the truth,” Dhoni said, without elaborating. “I am not that old, so do your research first.”

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2015

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