Ravichandran Ashwin lauded Australia’s strategic prowess in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, expressing astonishment at their tactical brilliance.
Ravichandran Ashwin commended Australia’s strategic brilliance in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against India at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Despite India’s home advantage and unbeaten run, Australia’s decision to bowl first surprised many. Yet, they executed their plan excellently, stifling India’s momentum in the middle overs. Pat Cummins, pivotal in this strategy despite his earlier ODI struggles, notably employed cutters, a surprise element in his bowling.
Ashwin, expressing surprise, acknowledged Australia’s tactical acumen and Cummins’ adaptability, lauding their approach and emphasizing the effectiveness of Cummins’ varied deliveries in the final stages of the tournament on his YouTube channel.
“Australia were tactically outstanding in the final. I was shell-shocked to see their tactics during the final. Cummins was struggling in ODIs leading up to the World Cup, but the last 4-5 matches of the World Cup, almost 50 percent of his balls were cutters. In the final, Cummins had a 4-5 field like an off-spinner does. He bowled only three balls over 6-meter mark in his entire 10-over spell, he did not bowl full enough for the batters to get under or drive,” he said.
How George Bailey (Chief Selector), Pat Cummins and Australia put on a tactical masterclass by assessing the conditions so well and opting to bowl first. The explanation Bailey gave blew @ashwinravi99's mind. pic.twitter.com/LwF82LDyiS
— Crikipidea (@crikipidea) November 23, 2023
Despite Rohit Sharma expressing his wish to bat first, the toss was less impactful given the pitch’s later behavior favoring chasing. Reflecting on the pitch conditions, Ashwin highlighted Australia’s surprise decision to bowl first.
“Australia has deceived me personally. I expected them to bat first and score big like they do in the finals. The soil in Ahmedabad was like Orissa, there will not be much bounce, but the soil will not disintegrate because the clay does not release the moisture, it holds it. When I was checking the pitch during the mid-innings break, I asked George Bailey why they did not opt to bat first. He said that they have played a lot of IPL and bilateral series here, in their experience, the red soil disintegrates while the black soil gets better to bat on under the lights,” he added.
Last Updated on November 23, 2023
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