ICC gives average rating to pitches used in final and one semi-final of World Cup 2023

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given an ‘average’ rating to the pitches for the ODI World Cup final between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the second semifinal between Australia and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

ICC match referee Andy Pycroft has given the pitch rating for the final match, while former Indian speedster Javagal Srinath rated the pitch that was used for the second semi-final match. The second semi-final was a low-scoring clash between South Africa and Australia, where both failed to score big. The Proteas needed up making 212 and in reply, the Aussies also found it difficult to chase down the score but they finally did it in the 48th over.

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia saw slightly higher scores, with the hosts scoring 240 and 2 wickets. However, dewy conditions settled the pitch down in the second innings after the initial stages, as the Aussies completed the chase by 6 wickets in 43 overs.

Before the final clash, Australian captain Pat Cummins raised concerns about playing on used surface.
The first semi-final between India and New Zealand was held at Wankhede Stadium and which was the centre of controversy before the game, received a good rating. The encounter saw India the Kiwi attack for a massive 397/4 in 50 overs, before bowling out for 327.

Out of 11 Team India matches in the World Cup, 5 pitches were rated average by the ICC. The clash against Pakistan, South Africa, England, and Australia are the remaining 4 apart from the grand finale.

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Despite winning the 2023 World Cup trophy, India crossed the expectations of all supporters in the league stages. The Men in Blue played a fearless game that resulted in winning all 9 matches to finish atop the points table. They even defeated New Zealand in the semi-final match to clash with Australia in the final.
India suffered a devastating defeat to the six-time World Cup champions.

The result remained that India’s wait for the ICC title has been extended to a decade, with their last triumph at the 2013 Champions Trophy. Despite the painful ending, Team India provided fans with plenty to celebrate. They boasted the tournament’s two leading run-scorers, Virat Kohli (765 runs) and Rohit Sharma (597 runs), and the leading wicket-taker Mohammed Shami (24 scalps).