• Mohammed Kaif has alleged Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid's involvement in doctoring the ODI World Cup Final pitch.

  • India lost the ODI World Cup 2023 Final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Fans divided as Mohammed Kaif reveals Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid’s involvement in the doctoring of ODI World Cup Final pitch
Mohammed Kaif, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid (Image Source: Twitter)

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In a significant and contentious statement, India’s veteran cricketer Mohammed Kaif has stirred up a huge controversy by alleging that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid doctored the pitch for the ODI World Cup 2023 Final. Kaif even attributed it as the reason for India’s heartbreaking loss in the summit clash, adding more fuel to the fire.

India’s undefeated streak and final loss against Australia

It’s important to highlight that India had a stellar campaign throughout the ODI World Cup 2023. The home team displayed exceptional skill, remaining undefeated on their path to the final. However, the slow pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium during the summit clash proved detrimental to India’s performance, resulting in a disappointing display in both batting and bowling, culminating in their defeat to Australia in the ultimate championship battle.

Mohammed Kaif’s bold claim about doctored pitch

In a recent interview with The Lallantop, Kaif revealed his observations from the days leading up to the final showdown. As someone who was part of the live coverage during the tournament, Kaif’s insights carried weight. He recounted seeing both Rohit and Dravid spending significant time inspecting the pitch in the days preceding the final.

According to Kaif, the lack of watering, absence of grass, and the slow nature of the pitch were clear indicators of deliberate tampering. He further even went on to claim that had it been a normal pitch the India definitely would have won the match.

“I was there for three days before the match, we did a lot of live shows. Rohit Sharma came in the evening, and so did Rahul Dravid. They roamed around the pitch, they stood for about an hour and were done. This went on for three days and I saw the colour of the track change,” said Kaif.

“There was no watering, no grass and the pitch was slow then, this is the truth even if the people don’t believe me. You can always ask the ground staff to put more water or to cut the grass. It happens and they should do this since it is a home game. Had it been a normal flat pitch, the form Shami was in, we could have made the runs and defended it. But I feel that by focusing too much on doctoring the pitch, we got trapped,” he added.

Also READ: Aaron Finch identifies a key challenge for Rohit Sharma as the non-skipper of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024

Fans divided over Kaif’s allegations against Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid

Kaif’s allegations sparked a flurry of reactions from fans and experts alike. Divisions ran deep, with some dismissing his claims as baseless and others commending him for his courage to speak out. While there were those who argued that focusing on pitch conditions was simply an excuse for India’s defeat and that the team was outplayed fair and square, others believed that Kaif’s revelations shed light on potential malpractices within the game.

Here’s how netizens reacted:

Also READ: R Ashwin reveals why he will be indebted to MS Dhoni for the rest of his life

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.