WTC Final: Former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden decodes reason for India's ICC title drought since 2013

No. 1 ranked Rohit Sharma-led Team India will face Australia in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval, London on June 07. The match will present India with another opportunity to end their ten-year-long ICC title drought. Since their 2013 Champions Trophy triumph, under MS Dhoni's leadership, India have not won an ICC title. Since then, they have ended as runners-up thrice (in the 2014 T20 World Cup, 2017 Champions Trophy and 2021 WTC final) and ended as semi-finalists on four occasions.

Thus, India will be eager to lay theirhands on their first ICC trophy since 2013 when they face second-ranked Australia in the second WTC final. Ahead of the match, the former Aussie opener decoded the reason behind India's struggles in winning an ICC event since 2013.Speaking to PTI, Hayden said that India's title drought is down to a mindset issue.

'It has to be a question of....'

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"It's certainly not a question of skill. So, it has to be a question of just the opportunity and the mindset going in. I mean, cricket is life here, it is the DNA of sport and has no other competitors," Hayden said.

Also Read:WTC Final | Ricky Ponting names two Indian batters who would be major threat to Australia

Further, Hayden also spoke about the pressure Indian players deal with and said, "In Australia, I could walk down the street and largely be unrecognised, especially with this terrible beard and hat on (laughs). But it's also got great competitive sports besides cricket. Rugby, football, our water sports, surfing, and outdoor sports. Here in India, it's very insular and there's a lot of pressure." He added, "It's the same with Pakistan cricket as well. There is one sport and it is cricket, so it's a mindset thing."

Hayden advised the Indian team to focus on the process and not thinkabout the outcomes. "Being cautious about looking for the scoreboard and looking for the titles and just playing and being a part of the process, something when you look at franchise setups, Gujarat Titans have done really well this year and CSK have done very well. Mumbai Indians as well believe in a certain process. So, that would be my advice to Indian cricket to forget the outcomes, but buy into the process,"Hayden added.

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