"Before The Game, My Aussie Friends Said...": Harbhajan Singh On India's World Cup Final Loss

The 'pitch talk' has been at the center of many debates since the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup 2023. First, it was the match between India and New Zealand, and then the final. After India went on to lose the summit clash to Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, questions arose whether the curators could've prepared a better wicket for the final. When Harbhajan Singh was asked about his views on the subject, he also believed that the Indian team would've performed better if the pitch prepared was slightly better.

"I think it was the kind of pitch which was on the slower side. It was drier than the usual pitch. You know, I would have liked to see a pitch where a lot of scores like 300 plus been scored. That sort of pitch would have India more than this kind of pitch where, you know, you bring your opposition in the game," Harbhajan said in a chat on India Today.

"You know where your batters were in such great form. They looked really good throughout the tournament, and they were fantastic and very, very proud of them. The way they play their cricket. I think, a slightly better pitch would help them to perform better than what happened," Harbhajan added.

Despite the fact that Australia won the final, Bhajji feels India had the better team. If the nature of the wicket was similar to what has traditionally been the case in Ahmedabad, the result could've been different.

"I believe India was the superior side. You ask anyone. Yesterday before the game, I spoke to a couple of my Aussie friends who I played with in my era. And all of them, they said, India is just top side, and it will be India all the way, But, of course, the Australian team they came out with the plan, they executed well, and they played fantastic cricket. And, of course, if the wicket was on slightly on a better side, one with the ball coming nicely onto the bat, Uh, you know, I think, we would have enjoyed more," he asserted.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Harbhajan Singh World Cup 2023 Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Cricket