Ahmedabad pitch ‘backfired’ on India: Fans, cricket legends comment on how ‘sub-continental conditions’ helped Australia
World Cup 2023 final on November 19 in Ahmedabad. The Australians, under Pat Cummins' strategic leadership, outplayed India with a 6-wicket win, wrapping up the game with 42 balls to spare. The highly anticipated match was played on the same pitch where India had previously defeated Pakistan.
This time, however, it turned unexpectedly in Australia's favour. In a decisive move, Cummins opted to bowl first after winning the toss, a decision that played a crucial role in shaping the game's outcome. Travis Head emerged as a key figure for Australia, steering his team towards victory with a stellar performance.
The Australian strategy effectively neutralised India's home advantage, with the pitch conditions unexpectedly favouring the visitors. Ricky Ponting observed that the pitch preparation, initially thought to favour India, ultimately proved advantageous for Australia. This sentiment was echoed by former England captain Michael Vaughan, who praised Australia's tactical acumen in mastering the challenging conditions.
“It was very, very sub-continental conditions today. A wicket preparation that has probably ended up backfiring on India to be totally fair," Fox News quoted Ponting as saying. “They’ve clearly got a very clever think tank.
I don’t think they are a 320 side, they are a 280 side and preparing a pitch like this gave Australia a chance," said Vaughan. “They did exactly what Pat Cummins said they would, they’ve silenced the crowd. They’ve done it in great fashion.
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