{"id":295505,"date":"2023-11-17T17:26:25","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T17:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=295505"},"modified":"2023-11-17T17:26:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T17:26:25","slug":"cricket-world-cup-final-will-be-played-on-icc-recommended-pitch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/%d1%81ricket\/cricket-world-cup-final-will-be-played-on-icc-recommended-pitch\/","title":{"rendered":"Cricket World Cup final WILL be played on ICC-recommended pitch"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sunday’s World Cup final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad will be played on the surface recommended by ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson following this week\u2019s controversy in Mumbai.<\/p>\n
Mail Sport revealed that the Indian authorities had switched the pitch for Wednesday\u2019s semi-final win over New Zealand at short notice, enraging Atkinson and leading to fears of another unscheduled change of plan for the final.<\/p>\n
Atkinson remains furious that the Indian board claimed there was something wrong with the pitch that had originally been agreed on at Mumbai\u2019s Wankhede Stadium – with no explanation yet offered for the late switch.<\/p>\n
But the ICC said on Friday night that the final would be played on pitch No 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium – in accordance with the conclusion Atkinson reached after he flew into Ahmedabad last week to ascertain why he wasn\u2019t getting any straight answers from the local authorities about preparations for Sunday\u2019s showpiece.<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s players had expressed nervousness about what awaited them as they look to win their sixth one-day World Cup against an Indian side desperate for victory in front of a home crowd that could top 95,000.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The cricket World Cup final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad will be played on the surface recommended by ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson after this week\u2019s controversy\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The build-up to their semi-final win over New Zealand was overshadowed after it was revealed that\u00a0India had gone behind the ICC\u2019s backs to ensure the clash took place on a used pitch<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s always expect the unexpected in India,\u2019 said seamer Josh Hazlewood. \u2018We\u2019re not surprised by anything here. When we get there, we\u2019ll see the pitch and make a decision on what we do first. Whatever it is, we have to do it well.\u2019<\/p>\n
His fellow quick Mitchell Starc said: \u2018I guess we\u2019ll find out when we get to Ahmedabad and see if it\u2019s a fresh wicket or an old wicket.\u2019<\/p>\n
If the ICC are correct, the wicket will be the freshest of the three options, having been used only once – 37 days before the final for India\u2019s game against Pakistan, which lasted only 73 overs.<\/p>\n
Atkinson reported back to his bosses that it was the only suitable surface of the three available, with pitch No 6 used twice already – for England\u2019s games against New Zealand and Australia – and pitch No 7 used as recently as last week, for South Africa\u2019s match against Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
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Sunday’s final will be played on pitch No 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They are set to take on an in-form Australia side who have now won eight games on the trot\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even the choice of pitch No 5, however, is not without a twist, since it contravenes the original pre-agreed plan between Atkinson and the BCCI, which had the final taking place on pitch No 6.<\/p>\n
When the Indian authorities unilaterally altered the schedule for Ahmedabad\u2019s next three games, and used pitch No 6 twice, Atkinson flew to the venue himself for an inspection. His conclusion – that No 5 is in the best condition – appears to have been respected.<\/p>\n
The Australians – who beat South Africa by three wickets in Kolkata on Thursday – will be up against comfortably the strongest team in the tournament.<\/p>\n
India possess its leading run-scorer in Virat Kohli, with 711 at an average of 101, and its leading wicket-taker in Mohammed Shami, with 23 wickets at an average of nine. Victory would be their 11th in a row, confirming them as one of the great white-ball sides of all time.<\/p>\n
Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia WILL be played on ICC-recommended pitch after hosts switched surfaces for their semi-final victory over New Zealand […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n