Rohit Sharma, Dravid accused of tempering India vs Australia World Cup Final Pitch, influenced curator to prepare dry surface: To the outside world, it may seem like the Indians have moved on from the embarrassing defeat at the Narendra Modi Stadium against Australia on November 19, but what remains inside is pain and agony for the loss. India’s dream of winning the ICC World Cup title was shattered mercilessly by the Aussies, as they went on to bag their sixth ODI World Cup trophy.
Never in one’s wildest dreams, one would have thought to lose such a crucial match, that too, with a one-sided competition. Australia ruthlessly shunned the crowd with their impressive gameplay and sharp tactics and added another feather to their decorated cap under the leadership of Pat Cummins.
Travis Head single-handedly took on Team India and scored a match-winning century to take his side to glory at the world’s biggest cricket stadium. The batter added 137 runs in 120 deliveries and bagged the ‘Player of the Match’ title.
While many blamed the slowness on the surface as one of the key reasons for India’s defeat, the focus turned towards the Aussies, who outplayed the Indians with their sharp tactics and strategies throughout the match.
Rohit Sharma, Dravid accused of tempering India vs Australia World Cup Final Pitch
It’s been close to four months now and the wounds have started to heal. However, the recent revelations made by Mohammad Kaif, who was part of the broadcasting team for the World Cup 2023 have again given flashbacks of the horrific defeat.
Kaif, in his recent interview with Lallantop, disclosed that the colour of the pitch changed drastically in the lead-up to the World Cup 2023 Final between India and Australia. The former Indian batter accused the Indian captain – Rohit Sharma and coach – Rahul Dravid of doctoring the pitch by influencing the curator.
Mohammad Kaif, during the interaction, revealed that Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid would have a close look at the pitch, which was being prepared for the final. The two did the same thing for three days in the run-up to the marquee clash.
“I was there for three days, did a lot of shows. Rohit Sharma came in the evening with Dravid, went to the pitch, stood there for an hour and went back. They came again on the second day and did the same thing. This went on for three days, and I saw the colour of that pitch change. I wore a blue shirt today, it would look yellow three days later… that was the extent of that change,” Kaif revealed on Guest in the Newsroom on TheLallanTop.
To devoid Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc of excessive pace off the surface, a slow pitch was prepared, but things didn’t turn out nicely for the Indians.
The Indian coach and captain influenced the pitch curator to make the surface dry with very little grass on it, said Mohammad Kaif.
“No watering, no grass. It became a very slow pitch. This is the truth. There were Cummins and Starc, they bowled quick, and the thought was to give them a slow pitch, and they did make a mistake there. People say ‘curator did his job, we didn’t say anything’. Sab bakvaas hai (It’s all rubbish). You were roaming there, you are talking to him 100. ‘Ghaas kam karo, paani kam daalna,” do line hi toh bolni hain (Don’t use too much grass, don’t water it. You just have to say two lines). And there’s nothing wrong in that, you are the home team, take advantage. But we didn’t use it properly,” said the former India batter.
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