Australia clinched their sixth champion title after defeating India in the last year's ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final by 6 wickets, shattering India's dream of winning their third title. The Indian batters struggled on the slow pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, only managing to score 240 runs. Australia reached the 241-run target with 42 balls left, with Travis Head's spectacular 137-run knock earning him 'Player of the Match'.
Dravid and Rohit pitched for three days: Kaif
The heart-wrenching loss in that World Cup final remains etched in the memory of Indian fans. Ex-Indian batsman Mohammed Kaif has now come forward with shocking revelations about that game. He claims that the pitch for the world cup final was tampered with to favor the home team. According to Kaif, Head Coach Rahul Dravid and Captain Rohit Sharma visited the pitch for three consecutive days, and he alleges changes in the pitch's condition, indirectly holding them accountable for the defeat.
Source: aajtak
Kaif stated that Pat Cummins learned from the league match against India that batting first in a slow game is tough. Unlike any other final, Cummins opted to field first, and Kaif believes that tampering with the pitch was our undoing.
ICC events' pitch preparations are typically overseen by the ICC consultant Andy, in conjunction with the host cricket board to decide which strips to use for each game. ICC regulations don't mandate fresh pitches for knockout matches but expect the best pitch and outfield for hosting matches.
India's Performance in ICC Tournaments Post-2013:
2014- T20 World Cup final loss 2015- Cricket World Cup semifinal loss 2016- T20 World Cup semifinal defeat 2017- Champions Trophy final loss 2019- Cricket World Cup semifinal defeat 2021- World Test Championship final loss 2021- T20 World Cup group stage exit 2022- T20 World Cup semifinal loss 2023- World Test Championship final loss 2023- Cricket World Cup final defeat
