New Delhi, November 22:Ā Australian opener David Warner on Wednesday reacted strongly to Mohammad Kaif calling India the "best team on paper" despite losing the World Cup final, saying "you need to perform when it matters". Australia defeated India by six wickets in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday for a record-extending sixth World Cup title triumph.Ā Viral Videos on YouTube Claim Rohit Sharma Was Not Out As Travis Head Didn't Take Clean Catch, ICC Announces IND vs AUS CWC 2023 Final Rematch; Here's the Fact Check

Kaif too was taken aback by India's loss to the Kangaroos and remarked on Star Sports that, "I can never accept that the best team has won the World Cup." "The Indian team is the best team on paper," said Kaif, a member of the side that finished runners-up in the 2003 World Cup.

Warner, Australia's leading run getter in the World Cup, responded to Kaif's claims saying the appearance on paper doesn't matter and one needs to perform in the field to win the trophy. "I like MK (Kaif), issue is it does not matter what's on paper. At the end of the day you need to perform when it matters. That's why they call it a final. That's the day that counts and it can go either way, that's sports. 2027 here we come," wrote Warner on 'X'.

David Warner's Reply to Mohammad Kaif

India had won all their 10 matches heading into the final. Australia, on the other hand, had lost their first two league matches, including the opener against India at Chennai, before winning nine matches on the trot.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, Indiaā€™s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)