It's nearly five months since India's defeat in the ODI World Cup 2023 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The defeat though still hasn't sunk in for many Indian fans. The hosts played like champions all throughout the tournament and made their way to the summit clash without losing a single game. However, when it mattered the most, at the final hurdle, Rohit Sharma & Co. succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Australia.
The most successful side in the history of ODI World Cups, Australia, may not have had the perfect start but once they did reach the titular contest, they showed their big match temperament and proper execution of plans to stifle India at their own backyard at the world's largest cricket stadium packed with Indian supporters. And now former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif, who was part of the broadcast team for the marquee event, has said that the team messed up by 'doctoring' the pitch instead of playing on a flat surface.
"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 on Lallantop in an interview.
India Wanted To Give A Slow Pitch To Australia: Mohammad Kaif
While Australia skipper Pat Cummins had won the toss and chosen to field first, in a decision that surprised many, India captain Rohit Shama was happy to bat first. Cummins, as it turned out, read the wicket to perfection as it got better under lights and on a slowish surface, the Kangaroos executed their plans to perfection to restrict India to 240.
"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," Kaif added.
"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," the 43-year-old concluded.