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In the ODI World Cup 2023 final on Sunday (November 19), Rohit Sharma's Team India faced a heart-wrenching defeat to Australia at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. Pat Cummins' Australian team clinched the title for a record-extending sixth time after a six-wicket victory. Opting to bat first, India managed to post 240 runs in 50 overs, setting a target of 241 for the Aussies which proved to be too little.
Australia faced early setbacks in their reply but rallied with a remarkable performance from Travis Head, scoring 137, and a formidable 192-run partnership with Marnus Labuschagne. The victory came in 43 overs, sealing the World Cup for Australia. While the defeat was disheartening for India, cricket enthusiasts from Australia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh celebrated India's loss.
Following the final, former Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq made a bold statement, expressing that India's loss was a positive development for cricket. Razzaq claimed that India tried to manipulate pitch conditions to their advantage, but it backfired in the crucial final.
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“Agar sahi baat kare toh aaj cricket jeeti hai. Aap conditions ko apni taraf utilise karke, ye kabhi bhi nahi aisa hota. Agar aaj India jeet jaati toh fir cricket jo hai naa vo India ki taraf ho jaati. Cricket ne bataya ki mai vo cricket hu jo brave hote hai, jo strong hote hai mentally, effort krte hai, jaan maarte hai, mai unke saath hu. Khushi iss cheej ki hai aaj ki agar India jeet jaati na to hume bahut jyada afsos hota iss sense mei ki vo conditions ko utilise kar rahi thi. Kuch na kuch toh hai conditions mei. Bilkul fair pitches honi chahiye, bilkul fair atmosphere hona chahiye, ki dono teams ke liye balance hona chahiye. Aaj bhi India ne advantage liya, agar Kohli 100 kar jaate toh India ye World Cup jeet jaati," he said on the Hasna Mana Hai show in Pakistan.
"Cricket won today. Conditions should never be manipulated in one's favor. If India had won today, it would have been a sad moment for cricket. They took advantage of the conditions. If Kohli had scored a century, India would have won the World Cup. I'm glad that cricket prevailed today. It's important to have fair pitches and a balanced atmosphere for both teams. India took advantage again, but if Kohli had scored 100, India would have won the World Cup," Razzaq stated on the Hasna Mana Hai show in Pakistan.
Translated, it reads, "Cricket won and India lost! Had India won the World Cup, it would have been a very sad moment for the game. They used conditions to their advantage, and I have never seen such a bad pitch for any ICC final before. It's great for cricket that India lost."
The final showcased a relatively slow wicket in the first innings, with Indian batters struggling to post substantial scores, ultimately proving to be the game-changer. The match outcome sparked discussions about the impact of pitch conditions on the game's fairness.
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