Harbhajan Singh, a former cricketer, expressed disappointment with the pitch conditions after Australia defeated India in the final to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
India, batting first on a slow pitch, were bowled out for 240 by Pat Cummins in the final. The World Cup champions then chased down the target with six wickets and seven overs to spare, thanks to an outstanding performance by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
Harbhajan Singh, in a conversation with an India news agency, expressed his dissatisfaction with the pitch used for the match. The former spinner stated that a flatter pitch would have allowed India to set a more challenging target for the reigning world champions.
“I think it was the kind of pitch which was on the slower side,” he was quoted saying in a report. “It was drier than the usual pitch. You know, I would have liked to see a pitch where a lot of scores like 300 plus been scored. That sort of pitch would have helped India more than this kind of pitch where, you know, you bring your opposition in the game.”
He added, “You know where your batters were in such great form. They looked really good throughout the tournament, and they were fantastic and very, very proud of them. The way they play their cricket. I think, a slightly better pitch would help them to perform better than what happened.”
Captain Pat Cummins inspects the pitch ahead of the final 🔍#CWC23 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/ymBAK5o8x6
— ICC (@ICC) November 18, 2023
It is worth noting that India will host Australia for a five-match T20I series, with the matches taking place at Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati in late November, followed by the final two matches in early December.
Related – Aakash Chopra questions pitch choice for India-Australia ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final