<img style="float: left;" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2014/feb/clayton.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="97" />Defending champions India are out of the World Cup. Heartbreaking? Yes. Could have played smarter? Yes again. Shameful, disgraceful? No and no.
Why? Because India put up a good fight against an opponent that had the best credentials in the World Cup, save fellow semi-finalists New Zealand and South Africa.
<img title="MS Dhoni and his band of boys have won the respect of millions of fans thanks to their spirited World Cup campaign. Pic/Getty Images" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2015/mar/Team-India.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni and his band of boys have won the respect of millions of fans thanks to their spirited World Cup campaign. Pic/Getty Images" /> MS Dhoni and his band of boys have won the respect of millions of fans thanks to their spirited World Cup campaign. Pic/Getty Images
How many of us could visualise, after the disastrous tri-series in which India lost every encounter to England and Australia, playing a game for a place in the final of the World Cup? Before India played Afghanistan in their second and final World Cup warm-up game, Dhoni&rsquo;s men had not won a game in 80 days. A bad tour of Australia can cause scars that don&rsquo;t heal for years. Teams that have been at the receiving end of a shellacking there will vouch for this.
That the players could get up, take a good look at themselves in the mirror and beat teams like Pakistan and South Africa first up in the World Cup is a wonderful achievement in itself.
At the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday, Australia were simply too good, near invincible, while building a 328-run total. Losing four wickets for 51 runs at one stage notwithstanding, the Aussies resembled smart kids putting together a jigsaw puzzle in record time after Steve Smith&rsquo;s century.
To paper over India&rsquo;s cracks would be painting with artificial colours. Sure, India&rsquo;s three pacers conceded a total of 215 runs, Virat Kohli was inexplicably adhesive (13 balls for one run) and Dhoni&rsquo;s run out made him look like a rabbit caught in headlights after a run-a-ball 65, but these foibles are not rare in the ebb and flow of a cricket match. Dhoni getting lucky with the toss could have produced a different result.
One semi-final loss should not discredit India. Not after seven wins on the trot, an unprecedented Indian achievement.
The writer is mid-day&rsquo;s Group Sports Editor

As dust settles on India's World Cup campaign, Men in Blue and their fans should look back on the '7-1' scoreline with pride; it's a reminder of the team&rsquo;s ability to make courageous comebacks

mid-day analyses Team India's ICC World Cup campaign

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Ganeshotsav 2026

Home / News / India News / Article / mid-day analyses Team India's ICC World Cup campaign

mid-day analyses Team India's ICC World Cup campaign

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Ganeshotsav 2026