'Just that one bad day' - Sunil Gavaskar, Irfan Pathan reflect on India's cricketing journey in 2023

In the world of cricket, 2023 will be etched as a fantastic year for Indian cricket, a sentiment echoed by cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan. The cricketing journey encompassed thrilling victories, heartbreaking defeats, and moments that resonated with fans across the nation.

Sunil Gavaskar, a revered voice in cricket, emphasised the triumphs of the women's team and said that it was a fantastic year for both the men's and the women's team, particularly the latter given the way Women in Blue performed.

"I think it's been a fantastic year for both the men's and the women's team, particularly the way the women's team has performed," he shared on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues.'

The women's team, after a narrow T20 World Cup semifinal defeat to Australia, bounced back resiliently, clinching gold at the Asian Games. Gavaskar celebrated the historic back-to-back Test wins against cricket powerhouses England and Australia, labelling it as the most exciting aspect of the year.

"Those two Test wins towards the year-end, one against England and one against Australia, both teams against whom the Indian women's team have had tough times earlier on. That's been the most exciting aspect of cricket apart from, of course, what we saw in the World Cup. The 10 straight wins, and, then, just that one bad day, which sadly happened to be the finals of the World Cup. So really, some exciting times in 2023," Gavaskar added.

It was one of the best years of Indian cricket: Irfan Pathan

Former fast bowler and renowned commentator also lauded the team's remarkable win percentage in ODIs, marking it as a historic achievement. Although the Men in Blue fell short in the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup finals against Australia, Pathan commended the team's overall performance.

"I think it was an amazing year, the way they won matches. In ODIs, they had the highest win percentage in Indian cricket history. I think it was one of the best years of Indian cricket," Pathan said.

While acknowledging the World Cup drought, Irfan Pathan found solace in the outstanding form displayed by Virat Kohli and the emergence of Shubman Gill.

"The World Cup victory again remained slightly away from us but overall there were a lot of positives. We saw Virat Kohli's form, which we were used to for so many years, and Shubman Gill had an amazing year," Pathan added.