India's Kettleborough curse drags on: Men in Blue's miseries continue in ICC events; fans blame umpire jinx

India's aspirations for a third World Cup title were shattered after an unexplained collapse led to a six-wicket defeat against a relentless Australia on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, casting a pall of gloom over the cricket-enthused nation. Australia secured their sixth World Cup title, extending their historic dominance in the tournament that commenced in 1975. Opting to bat first, India managed a subpar 240 despite notable contributions from Rohit Sharma (47 off 31 balls), Virat Kohli (54 off 63), and K L Rahul (66 off 107).

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Travis Head, replicating his stellar performance from the WTC final against India in June, played a pivotal role with a match-winning 137 off 120 balls as Australia successfully chased down the target in 43 overs. Although Australia faced a momentary setback, losing three wickets for 47, a formidable 192-run partnership between Head and Marnus Labuschagne (58 not out) sealed the victory.

Australia's exceptional bowling and fielding significantly contributed to their emphatic win, with the evening dew further favoring batting on a slow and dry surface.

Despite entering the final as the only unbeaten side with 10 consecutive wins, India faltered at the last hurdle. The last time India claimed a world title was in 2011, and their last ICC trophy was the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013. Since then, India has faced heartbreak across various formats, consistently faltering in crucial knockout encounters.

The list includes the T20 World Cup final in 2014, the ODI World Cup semifinal in 2015, the T20 World Cup semifinal in 2016, the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2017, the ODI World Cup semifinal in 2019, the group-stage matches against Pakistan and New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2021, the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal, and the ICC World Test Championship finals in both the 2019-21 and 2021-23 cycles. 

Also read: Australia wins 6th WC title: Travis Head crushes billion dreams 2 decades after unforgettable Ponting show

Out of India's eight matches in various ICC events since the 2013 Champions Trophy, Kettleborough was part of the umpires' panel in seven and was the on-field umpire in six occasions. In the aftermath of Australia's decisive 6-wicket victory against India, the haunting curse of umpire Richard Kettleborough on India in ICC showpiece events has once again come to the forefront.

Here's a look at how upset Indian fans reacted after Australia lifted the ODI World Cup 2023 title: