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India’s former batting coach, Vikram Rathour, has finally addressed the controversy surrounding the pitch used in the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the final against Australia, India faced allegations of last-minute pitch manipulation.
During India’s innings, the pitch played slow and low, posing challenges for batting. However, as evening dew set in, the pitch conditions improved significantly, favoring easier run-making. Consequently, Australia capitalized on the better batting conditions during the middle phase of their innings, comfortably chasing down the target in the end.
Vikram Rathour speaks out on 2023 World Cup final pitch controversy.
In a recent interview with Sportstar, Vikram Rathour, the ex-batting coach of India, addressed the contentious pitch issue that overshadowed the India vs Australia final. Rathour categorically refuted allegations of pitch tampering and asserted that the pitch conditions improved notably during the second innings of the match.
“I’ve heard this story that the pitch was different, which I don’t agree with at all. We played on similar wickets in the earlier matches as well. Matches against Australia, Pakistan and England were also played on slow pitches. The Ahmedabad pitch, however, eased out,” Vikram Rathour said.
Vikram Rathour acknowledged that India’s batsmen missed opportunities to score more runs on the day of the final. He also suggested that Australia had some luck on their side, which played a role in their victory.
Following the match, speculations arose suggesting that India intentionally altered the pitch to challenge Australia with their spin bowlers. However, this strategy didn’t pan out as expected, as the dew factor ultimately turned the tide in Ahmedabad that day.
Australia defeated India in the ODI World Cup 2023 final.
In the initial phase of Australia’s innings, the ball moved considerably in the first ten overs, allowing Indian fast bowlers to peg the opposition back to 47-3 at one stage. However, with dew settling in later on, the pitch conditions improved dramatically, enabling Travis Head to play a blistering innings and notch up a well-deserved century.
Head’s knock was a brutal display, scoring 137 runs off just 120 deliveries, which included 15 boundaries and 4 sixes. Alongside him, Marnus Labuschagne provided solid support with a patient 58 off 110 balls.
Earlier, during India’s batting innings, they encountered difficulties on a slow afternoon pitch. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli managed half-centuries but fell short of converting them into big scores. Kohli made 54 off 63 balls, while Rahul departed after scoring 66 off 107 balls.
Rohit Sharma, the captain, had set the tone with a quickfire 47 off 31 balls at the start, giving India a solid foundation. However, the middle and death overs proved challenging for the Indian batsmen, culminating in a total of 240 runs.
