Once again, in an ICC final, India's top-order failed, with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli all returning to the pavilion without leaving any impact on the game.
The Australian bowlers deserve credit for their disciplined bowling, but Gill and Pujara were dismissed by poor shot selection.
Both batters decided to leave deliveries that came back to dislodge their stumps. Gill was deceived by Scott Boland while Pujara suffered a similar fate by shouldering arms to a Cameron Green ball that held its line.
Pujara's dismissal was especially disheartening to watch as it exposed a significant flaw in his technique. Ravi Shastri didn't mince words when expressing his disappointment with the experienced No. 3 batsman's misjudgment.
'When you leave the ball, your front foot should be going towards the ball, not across. Pujara's front foot was still positioned at the middle stump when it should have been going towards the off stump,' Shastri observed during the live broadcast.
'As a result, the off stump was exposed. He believed it was outside the off stump, but it was an error in judgment,' Shastri explained.
'We often stress the importance of leaving the ball correctly in England and knowing where your off stump is,' added Shastri. 'Unfortunately, Pujara did not demonstrate that understanding.'
'Gill's footwork may have been a bit lazy, but he will learn from it since he is still young. However, Pujara's failure to position himself closer to the ball and across the line is highly disappointing.'
