"That day, Australia were luckier than us. They played better cricket than us" - Vikram Rathour dismisses pitch doctoring in 2023 ODI World Cup Final
Former Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour refuted the theory that tampering with the pitch led the Men in Blue to a loss against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. The Pat Cummins-led side ended up lifting their record-extending sixth World Cup on enemy turf as India's unbeaten run came to an end.
The final witnessed Australia surprisingly electing to bowl first. However, the decision proved to be spot on, as India struggled to put 240 runs on the board after an optimistic start. The Men in Yellow completely choked the Indian batting unit in the middle and the death overs and went on to chase the total comfortably, courtesy of a Travis Head ton.
Following the match, a lot of backlash was directed at the management for allegedly intervening and requesting a slow surface, which proved to be their downfall in the end. Former players like Mohammed Kaif and others felt that doctoring the pitch was unnecessary.
“I’ve heard this story that the pitch was different, which I don’t agree with at all. In the final, the pitch improved as the game progressed; we expected it to get slower, which it didn’t, so why did that happen? Yes, we could have scored more runs. There are so many ifs and buts, but one thing is sure: you need a little luck to win a tournament. And that day, Australia were luckier than us. They played better cricket than us. And that’s the reason they won,” Rathour said in an interaction with Sportstar.
Rathour came in as Sanjay Bangar's replacement during Ravi Shastri's tenure as head coach. He found a place in Rahul Dravid's regime as well, and recently stepped down after Team India clinched the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"Rahul Dravid is the best coach I’ve worked with" - Vikram Rathour
The spotlight was equally bright on Rahul Dravid following the loss since he was the head coach. Since taking over from Ravi Shastri in late 2022, he guided the team into numerous semi-finals and finals of ICC events, but silverware continued to elude the nation.
Dravid's contract had run through after the 2023 ODI World Cup final, but he signed an extension until the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the support staff also stayed on.
"Rahul is the best coach I’ve worked with. He has a great character and is good at what he does. He talks well, is very thorough, and is disciplined with his coaching. He took over when India was in a transition phase with significant challenges ahead. We were good friends. And we are even better friends now. The expectations were higher when he joined. He was calm and composed through these challenging times," Rathour said.
Rathour is touted to be the next head of the NCA after VVS Laxman is looking to step down from the role in September.