Watch: Rohit, Kohli inconsolable even as PM Modi tries to lift Team India's spirits in post-match dressing room pep-talk

India's dreams of winning the World Cup a third time was dashed as they lost the final in Ahmedabad by six wickets.

India went into the 2023 World Cup final as outright favourites to win the title even as they were facing five-time champions Australia who themselves were on an eight-match winning streak. However, their dreams of winning the World Cup for a third time, and a first ICC trophy since 2013, was dashed by a clinical Australian side who beat them by six wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Modi consoled the Indian players in the dressing room. (ANI)

The Indians were visibly dejected after Glenn Maxwell scored the winning runs, trudging off the field with their heads bowed after congratulating the Australians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was at the stadium for the match and presented captain Pat Cummins with the trophy, later went to the Indian dressing room and consoled the players. “You all have won 10 games. This happens. Smile. The country is watching you. Thought of meeting you all. It happens,” Modi could be heard saying in the video to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He also could be heard conversing in Gujarati with Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah.

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India's final stumble

India were all out for 240, with Australia starving them out after they shot off 80 runs in the first 10 overs. While Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami then got the hosts off to a promising start in their defence, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne shut the door with 192-run stand. Head scored 137 in 120 balls while Labuschagne was unbeaten on 58 off 110 and Australia took the match by six wickets.

India had been the dominant side and seen as the outright favourites in the lead-up to the match. They had won all of the games they had played up until the final by significant margins and this included a six-wicket win over Australia in their tournament opener. Australia, on the other hand, started the tournament with two big defeats and then went on to win every match after that.

Head fell off what turned out to be the second last ball of the tournament, fifth ball of the 43rd over bowled by Mohammed Siraj. Glenn Maxwell, who had taken the big wicket of Rohit Sharma earlier in the day and led Australia to victory with the bat with a once-in-a-lifetime double century despite multiple cramps against Afghanistan earlier in the tournament, then finished it off by taking two runs off the first ball that he faced.