"Rohit and Virat were crying" - Ravichandran Ashwin opens up on atmosphere after India's loss to Australia in 2023 World Cup final

Ravichandran Ashwin recently talked about how much it pained him to watch Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in tears after India's 2023 World Cup final defeat to Australia.

Despite winning all 10 games leading into the final, the Men in Blue came unstuck on the big day against the Aussies. Following a sub-par batting performance, putting up a total of 240, the bowlers allowed Australia to recover from 47/3 and register a six-wicket win.

Speaking to S Badrinath on his YouTube channel, Ashwin recalled the moments after the final defeat. He also praised the dynamic between Virat and Rohit and their leadership.

"Yes, we felt the pain. Rohit and Virat were crying. Seeing that it felt bad. Anyways, not meant to be. This team was an experienced team. Everybody knew what to do. And then, it was professional. Everybody knew their routines, warm-ups. I think two natural leaders gave the team the space to do these two ( Kohli and Rohit) and created a vibe," said Ashwin.

Ashwin was also effusive in his praise for skipper Rohit Sharma and the effort he puts in to understand his players.

"If you look at Indian cricket, everybody will tell you MS Dhoni is one of the best captains. Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person. He understands every single person in the team, he knows what each one of us likes and dislikes. He has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each member personally," stated Ashwin.

He added:

"He puts in a lot of effort. Forgoes sleep and becomes part of meetings, he first puts in the effort. He takes an effort to understand how to explain tactics to each person. That's an advanced level of leadership in Indian cricket."

India's decade-long ICC title drought continues, with the side's last win coming at the 2013 Champions Trophy. It remains to be seen if Rohit at 40 will play in the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.

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"What Rohit Sharma did at the top set the ball rolling" - Ravichandran Ashwin

Rohit pulled and hooked at will throughout the World Cup.

Ravichandran Ashwin hailed skipper Rohit Sharma for setting the tone with the bat throughout India's dominant run in the 2023 World Cup.

The 36-year-old was the tournament's second-leading run-scorer with 597 runs in 11 innings at an average of 54.27 and an incredible strike rate of over 125. With his century against Afghanistan, Rohit also separated himself from Sachin Tendulkar to become the leading ODI World Cup centurion with seven.

"Telling everyone to play a brand of cricket is one thing, but doing it and showing it on the field is another thing. I have known Rohit for a long time. What he did at the top set the ball rolling. he gave us the confidence. He said 'it's okay if we get out for 150. At least we will set the tone, instill fear'. I think all 11 in the team had a great World Cup," said Ashwin.

Team India boasted the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker of the 2023 World Cup in Virat Kohli (765 runs) and Mohammed Shami (24 wickets).

The Men in Blue are currently playing the five-match T20I series against Australia. They lead 2-1 at the moment, with the penultimate fixture to be played at Raipur on Friday, December 1.