Team India entered the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 on the back of 10 successive wins. The Men in Blue defeated all nine opponents comprehensively in the league stage before beating New Zealand in the first semi-final.
However, Rohit Sharma’s men were completely outplayed by Australia in the title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Reflecting on India’s loss, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has made explosive allegations that the pitch for the final was doctored to suit the home team.
In an exclusive chat with Lallantop, Kaif claimed that the track was made slower by the BCCI curators to suit the Indian side.
"I was there for three days. Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid inspected the pitch every day for 3 days ahead of the final. They stood beside the pitch for an hour every day. I saw the pitch change its colour. There was no watering the pitch, no grass on the track. India wanted to give Australia a slow track. This is the truth, even if people don't want to believe it," Kaif said.
"The feeling was that Australia had Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc, so India wanted to give a slow pitch, and that was our mistake. Many people say that curators do their own thing and we don't influence - that is rubbish. When you are moving around the pitch - you have to say just two lines - please don't put water, just reduce the grass. This happens. That is truth. And it should be done. You are playing at home. And we did it a little too much," he added.
According to Kaif, Australian skipper Pat Cummins had learnt his lessons from the defeat against India in their World Cup opener and had put that knowledge to good use.
"Cummins took the learning from Chennai that batting is tough at the start in a slow match. Nobody fields first in a final, but Cummins did. We messed up while doctoring the pitch," he concluded.
Just ahead of the final, it was reported that ICC's pitch consultant Andy Atinkson had exited the ODI World Cup due to his alleged differences with the BCCI on how the pitch should be for the final.
Back then, news agency PTI had quoted a BCCI official who tried to kill the controversy by saying that Atkinson's contract had come to an end.
"Andy's assignment is over and he has gone back. Don't try to find controversy where there is none. Nowhere it is written that ICC's pitch consultant need to be present before the final," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
After the culmination of the showpiece tournament, the International Cricket Council rated the pitch for the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium as average.
