"All those morons who were saying the pitch has been changed, shut up" - Sunil Gavaskar lashes out at naysayers over pre-match chatter
Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar did not hold back while criticising the individuals who caused a stir during the build-up of the semi-final encounter between India and New Zealand, over a last-minute pitch change.
Reports began making the rounds, stating that instead of a fresh pitch, the semi-final encounter would be played on a used pitch. While there is no particular rule stating that a knockout contest must be played on a fresh surface, the late change was enough to trigger several.
An ICC spokesperson later confirmed that knockout matches being played on a used pitch is a regular occurrence in cricket. He further stated that the ICC independent pitch consultant was also informed about the change in time along with both the teams.
Gavaskar was at his fiery best and did not mince any words after Team India completed a 70-run win over the Blackcaps to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup final. He said during a post-match discussion with the broadcasters:
"This has been such a good pitch to bat on. Look, we have got almost 730 runs scores. All those morons, who were talking about the pitch being changed, about it favoring Indian bowlers, I just hope that they shut up."
Asserting that the same pitch was on offer for both the teams to assess before the toss and come to a conclusion, Gavaskar continued:
"Stop taking potshots at India just because it helps you to get the eyeballs, it is nonsense! The pitch, even if it was changed, it was there before the toss for both the teams. It was not changed during the mid-innings break nor was it changed after the toss was done. The pitch was right there."
Gavaskar went on:
"You are a good enough team, you play on that pitch and you win, and India have done that. Already they are talking about the pitch being changed in Ahmedabad, and the other semi-final has not even taken place yet."
The Wankhede surface arguably played according to its true nature, and there were no major indications of it being an overused pitch. The odd ball did grip and turn while scoring towards the baclend of the innings was a bit tricky as well.
Overall it was a true pitch and the run-scoring spree that both teams embarked on indicates the same.
Sunil Gavaskar had spoken about the pitch change controversy before the match as well
The legendary batter criticised people who spoke against the pitch even before the match began. Gavaskar mentioned that the Indian team are capable of playing on any and all kinds of pitches.
The Men in Blue have already overcome a slew of different pitches throughout the 2023 ODI World Cup league stage. Right from the tricky slow surface in Chennai to the flat tracks in Delhi and Mumbai, Rohit Sharma and company have proved that they have the squad to deal with any sort of conditions on offer.
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