India haven't won an ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph under former skipper MS Dhoni. The team came agonisingly close last year at the ODI World Cup on home soil but fell at the 'final' hurdle against Australia.
Speaking about that final and what it will take for India to end an 11-year wait for another ICC trophy, former opener Virender Sehwag stressed on the need to be fearless in approach.
"If I look back the last ODI World Cup final that we lost to Australia, nobody played fearless cricket between the 11th and the 40th over; we hit only one or two fours," said Sehwag in a video clip floating on the internet.
Captain Rohit Sharma was going great guns after the Australians put India in to bat at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But after scoring 47 off 30 balls, the skipper fell on the next ball to Glenn Maxwell.
The Indian innings lost momentum and never regained it, ending up with below-par total of 240 all out.
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"I can give my example. When I was part of the team, from 2007-08 to the 2011 (ODI) World Cup, we used to treat every match as a knockout match, a World Cup semifinal; if we lose, we are out (of the tournament). So from 2007-08 to 2011, we won a lot of tournaments and prepared for the World Cup. So maybe the Indian team can do that and play every match as if it is knockout match, that if we lose, we are out. So the mindset changes," Sehwag explained.
"I think that mindset is needed in that (Indian) dressing room when you go into a knockout match, you play fearlessly, with bravery, play with some risk. That, I think is lacking."
Indian bowlers began well in defence of their 240 and reduced Australia to 47 for 3 in 7 overs, but opener Travis Head had other ideas, as he sent the Indian bowling attack to cleaners with a match-winning 137 off 120 balls in a 192 run stand for the fourth wicket with Marnus Labuschagne (58 not out).
The Pat Cummins-led Australia won by six wickets to lift a record-extending sixth ODI World Cup trophy.
