As Australia took on the Indian team in the final of the Cricket World Cup 2023, their battle wasn't just limited to nullifying the hosts' batters and bowlers but also the crowd. About one lakh 30 thousand people, dressed in blue, came out to support the Indian team in their quest for the ODI World Cup title but as Australia dominated proceedings on the 22-yard strip, the crowd turned unruly. In fact, several social media users called out the crowd's silence in the match, accusing them of disrespecting the Australian team as well as match officials.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins had cleared his objective of 'silencing the crowd' before the World Cup final began. While Cummins and his team succeeded in their plan, the fans at the venue were slammed for their failure to lift the Indian team's spirits at times when Rohit Sharma's men needed them the most.
Some fans even left the game early, realising that the Indian team wasn't going to win the final. Even Cummins said after the match that he was happy to see the crowd being silent.
"It was awesome, I was pretty happy that they (the crowd) were silent for a lot of the bowling innings. A couple of times, they got loud and it was really loud. But fantastic, the passion in India is unrivalled around the world. You look around and it is a pretty special moment, whatever the result happens, we are never going to forget a day like today," Cummins said in the post-match presentation ceremony.