Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq has suggested that Australia's World Cup final triumph over India was a success for cricket because of how lopsided the advantage was in favor of the Men in Blue, who were hosting the showpiece event.
He further said that India was over-confident in the final and took advantage against Australia. Had India won, then cricket’s balance would’ve been shifted towards them.
Australia had won the toss in Ahmedabad in the final and chose to bowl first. On a slow and sluggish pitch, despite getting a flying start courtesy of captain Rohit Sharma, India could only manage 240 runs, with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul scoring fifties.
In response, India did get a few early wickets, but that advantage was negated by Travis Head, who made a scintillating 137, and then thanks to Marnus Labuschagne’s 58*, Australia won the final by 6 wickets and became six-time World Cup champions.
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“Indians were over-confident (in the final). Agar sahi baat kare toh aaj cricket jeeti hai. Aap conditions ko apni tarah utilise karke, ye kabhi bhi nahi aisa hota. Agar aaj India jeet jaati toh fir cricket jo hai naa vo India ki taraf ho jaati. Bilkul fair pitches honi chahiye, bilkul fair atmosphere hona chahiye, ki dono teams ke liye balance hona chahiye. Aaj bhi India ne advantage liya.
(If I am being honest, the sport of cricket won today. The host country was using the conditions to their advantage. Cricket showed that it favors the team which is brave. If India would have won, I would have felt very bad. The pitches and the atmosphere should be fair. There should be balance for both teams. India tried to take advantage even in the final,” Razzaq said on the Pakistani TV show ‘Hasna Mana Hai’ on Geo TV.
He went on to add that if Virat Kohli, who was dismissed at 54, had scored another century, India would have won the match and their third World Cup trophy.
Mohammad Amir, Razzaq’s co-panelist on the show, said that the pitch used for the final in Ahmedabad didn’t look like a surface on which the summit clash should’ve taken place.
