“India could have won World Cup final against Australia in 2023 but doctored pitch led to defeat”: Mohammad Kaif does a big revelation.
Mohammad Kaif expressed his desire for India to secure victory in the ICC World Cup 2023; however, Australia emerged as the stronger team on the day, ultimately claiming the trophy.
Kaif criticized India’s decision to prepare a slow track for the crucial match, suggesting that it contributed to their defeat. He further accused the BCCI of devising an ineffective strategy for the final showdown.
Kaif said “I was at the Narendra Modi Stadium and saw Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma checking the pitch for three days. The colour of the pitch changed. If someone from the home team says we didn’t have any say about the track, it is a big lie. Had the game been played on a flat track, India could have easily won the World Cup. We had champion players in that team, but the team got stuck due to a doctored pitch.”
“Pat Cummins knew how the pitch would play, and Australia generally bat after winning the toss, but they changed their planning for the final against India. The dew factor was on the back of the Australians mind and they took a call and it paid off.”
Following his remarks, Kaif faced significant backlash on social media, with former players from England and Australia questioning the validity of his comments.
“I was talking about in the context of the tournament. India were unbeaten for 10 matches and played ruthlessly. None of the teams were able to challenge. All the players were in form. Rohit, Virat, Iyer scored a lot of runs. Shami, Bumrah and Kuldeep were bowling well. I know Australia won the World Cup, but India played better cricket. However, my comment was taken in a wrong way by few.”
India’s batting woes were evident as they were bowled out for 240 runs after being put in to bat by Pat Cummins.
Despite this, Australia maintained control throughout the match, with Travis Head’s century guiding them to a comfortable six-wicket victory.