World cup final: Aakash Chopra questions pitch choice for IND v AUS clash

Former Indian cricketer and commentator, Aakash Chopra has raised questions on the choice of the pitch by the home side for the ICC World Cup final 2023.

Rohit Sharma’s XI was bowled out for 240 after being asked to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday by Pat Cummins in the World Cup final. The Aussies chased down the target with six wickets and seven overs to spare due to a brilliant show by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne to bag a record-extending sixth World Cup title.

Chopra feels India’s decision to play the final against Australia on a black-soil surface proved counterproductive.

“I feel India conceded a point right at the start. India probably would have had the choice of pitch they wanted to play on. The Indian team chose the black-soil pitch, where there will be a lot of help for spin. However, the starting point was probably slightly defensive,” the former Indian opener said in a video released on his YouTube channel.

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Aakash Chopra said India shouldn’t have even needed to think about the sort of pitch in the World Cup final against Australia. “When you chose a dry black-soil pitch, you got stuck in your own web, if you think in that way.”

The former Indian batter was of the view that the final encounters are driven by two factors. The first is that a team that makes fewer mistakes generally finds themselves in better situations. They are the teams that absorb pressure. The others are the ones who dare to play fearlessly.

The Australian team was better than India in both those areas in the World Cup final, he added.