Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu has blamed the conditions for India’s loss against Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023. In an interview with BeerBicep’s YouTube channel, Rayudu criticized the slow pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, questioning whose idea it was to make such a surface for the final. He believed that a normal pitch would have been more interesting and that India had the strength to defeat Australia without the need for a challenging wicket.
Rayudu expressed his disappointment with the slow and lethargic pitch, stating that it was not what a final match should have. He mentioned that people mistakenly thought they were helping India by preparing such a pitch, but it actually hindered the Indian team’s performance. Rayudu believed that a good cricketing wicket, where the pitch remained consistent throughout the game, would have been ideal for a limited-overs match.
The former Chennai Super Kings player also questioned whether the slow pitch was intentionally made, calling it stupidity if someone had deliberately done so. However, he expressed doubt that it was a deliberate decision.
In the match, India struggled to score on the difficult batting surface after Australia won the toss and elected to field first. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli scored fifties, but India was eventually bowled out for 240 in their 50 overs. Australia, led by Travis Head’s century and Marnus Labuschagne’s unbeaten half-century, successfully chased down the target and secured their sixth World Cup title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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