'Rohit and Virat were crying,' Ashwin recalls atmosphere in Indian dressing room following World Cup final loss

NEW DELHI: Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin of India talked about the mood in the Indian dressing room following Men in Blue's defeat by Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad. He also praised captain Rohit Sharma 's leadership qualities during the competition.

The Men in Blue's six-wicket loss to Australia in the Cricket World Cup final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19 added yet another heartbreak to the list for Indian supporters. The Men in Blue have not won an ICC trophy since 2013. Australia won their sixth World Cup title, setting a new record.

In an interview with former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath on the latter's YouTube channel, Ashwin disclosed that veteran players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were in tears after the match, and that these two "natural leaders" gave the team a positive energy.

"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, and warm-ups. I think two natural leaders gave the team the space to do these two and created a vibe," said Ashwin.

Ashwin praised Rohit Sharma's leadership for driving the team ahead and taking on the bowlers from the first ball. The all-around player described Rohit as a remarkable individual who has a deep understanding of everyone.

"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," said Ashwin.

According to Ashwin, Rohit frequently forwent sleep in order to participate in team meetings.

"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," said Ashwin.

The spin-bowling all-rounder hailed Rohit for "walking the talk" with the bat.

"And also, walking the talk. 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 is 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," concluded Ashwin.

(With ANI inputs)