"Travis Head was beaten by Shami and Bumrah a lot" - Rahul Dravid's stunning comment on India losing 2023 World Cup final

Former Head Coach Rahul Dravid made a stunning comment on India's defeat during the 2023 World Cup final against Australia. The Men in Blue suffered a six-wicket loss and a major heartbreak of not winning a home World Cup.

Batting first, they posted a fighting total of 240 on the board. However, it was not enough as Australia chased it down in 43 overs. Travis Head slammed a brilliant century. He made 137 runs off 120 balls. Notably, Head was lucky at the start of his innings. He was beaten several times by Indian pacers Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.

Head survived and went on to score a match-winning ton. Rahul Dravid reflected that moments of luck were also needed at times. He highlighted how Head was dismissed for a first-ball duck months later in the IPL 2024 final.

"You need those moments of luck a little bit no in life you just need those things you know Travis head was beaten by Shami and Bumrah like a lot that day and he went on to play a phenomenal innings and then you know like 6 months later he's playing a final of the IPL and first ball I think he edges Vaibhav Arora in a final, I think SRH versus KKR. And that's the game, right? You think you're in control of a lot of things, but there certain things you've got to sometimes just accept them and move on," he said on 'Breakfast with Champions'.

Dravid was the Head Coach of the Indian team during the 2023 World Cup. The hosts had a stellar run as they were unbeaten till the final. Unfortunately, they missed out on winning the trophy.

---

Rahul Dravid reflects on relationships with players during his tenure as Head Coach

Rahul Dravid signed off as India's Head Coach after the 2024 World Cup triumph. Following the 2023 World Cup heartbreak, it was a deserving finish for Dravid. Post his coaching stint with the senior men's team, he reflected on the journey and revealed having built good relationships with the players that were beyond results.

"I think more than the wins and the losses, I think I've built some good relationships with a lot of those players. Some of the better conversations I've had with a lot of the players and the team have been more just sitting and maybe just having a chat over a coffee or a tea or a lunch or a dinner. And I think you really get to know people a lot better in that way," he said.

He revealed that the conversation helped him learn a lot about the players, their struggles and the challenges they faced. Rahul Dravid added that he gained awareness about the difficulties of playing in the current generation as compared to the era in which he played.

Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news

Edited by Rishab Vm