The fear that India experienced during their first World Cup game against Australia in Chennai prompted the Indian team management to select a slow pitch for the final in Ahmedabad. However, it worked in the favour of the Australian team at the Narendra Modi Stadium, as they ended India’s unblemished 10-game streak in the ODI World Cup 2023.
In the opening game, Australian pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc had reduced the hosts to 2/3 in their World Cup encounter. If Mitchell Marsh had pouched Virat Kohli’s skier off a Hazlewood ball soon after, it would have been 20/4 for the hosts. The Australians were only defending 199 runs when they made a fielding error that proved catastrophic. India would go on to win the game easily, with KL Rahul and Virat Kohli finishing things for the team.
According to the reports, the Indian think tank was concerned that if the Aussie pacemen could give them a bloody nose on a spinner’s paradise at Chepauk, the ramifications may be even worse if the circumstances in the final were even slightly in their favour. The pitch’s lack of pace aided their spinners as well as skipper Rohit Sharma in taking the assault to the opposition during the first Powerplay.
But the strategy backfired, and India played straight into Australia’s hands. The surface got too slow for India’s liking, with their batsmen struggling to find any form of rhythm against a mix of cuts, slower deliveries, off-pace bouncers, and hard-length balls throughout the afternoon while turning much better to bat on after lights.
Virat Kohli-KL Rahul played in difficult conditions under the sun than when Travis Head and Manus Labuschagne milked the Indian bowling in the evening, where they formed a match-winning partnership to get their side to the Sixth ODI Championship title.
The Australians appeared to be aware of the type of pitch that would be available and looked like well-prepared for the challenge from the host nation. The home squad, on the other hand, appeared shocked and out of rhythm with the type of pitch on which they had been playing over and over again.
It was painful for the Indian fans to see images of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, with tears in his eyes, making his way back to the pavilion following the match, Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj too could not hold their emotions despite giving their all efforts to win the marquee event on the home conditions.
