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'Stuck In Your Own Web' - Ex-Indian Opener Questions India's Choice Of Pitch For World Cup Final

image-lp6l9lobVirat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the presentation ceremony (X.com)

Ahead of India’s monumental World Cup finals clash against the mighty Australia, redundant pitch controversy reignited as reports of the Rohit Sharma-led side getting to pick the desired surface swirled around the internet.

As a host nation, perhaps the Indian side did have a say in the curation of the pitch. However, those speculations remain unconfirmed to date.

Having said that, as India suffered an agonizing defeat in the finals, ex-Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra raised significant doubt over Indian management’s judgment.

In a YouTube video, Chopra reckoned that India got caught in their own web while selecting a dry black soil pitch. He further claimed that maybe the home side got their way concerning the selection of the pitch surface.

However, Rohit Sharma chose to select a used pitch that was more favorable for spinners. But, according to Chopra’s opinion, Sharma adopted a defensive approach. He tried to exploit Australia’s weakness rather than playing on its own strength. That’s an area where India lost a point, opined Aakash Chopra.

Here's Akash Chopra's Quote

"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."

After being asked to bat first, the Indian side could only put up a total of 240 on board. Needless to say, it proved to be insufficient against Travis Head, who scored a noteworthy 137 off 120 deliveries to allow his side to lift the sixth World Cup title.

Meanwhile, the Indian spinners struggled as they walked off wicketless. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav completed their quota but failed to leave an impact. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami’s salient efforts got washed down the drain as well.

Nonetheless, the Indian cricket team will sign off with their heads held high. Of course, the loss would hurt deeply. But the campaign was nothing short of a dream run. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be this time around.

Having said that, the fight is not over yet. India are set to face the Aussies again in a five-game T20 series slated to commence on November 23.