Was pitch to blame for defeat? Dav Whatmore explains why Team India fell short in World Cup final

After Australia's dominating win over hosts India in the ODI World Cup final on Sunday (Nov 19), the Indian team will now look to reflect on what went wrong for them in the summit clash. Australia beat India by six wickets in the final and clinched their sixth title at the grandest stage. While it was a tough day at the office for Team India, WION’s cricket expert and former World Cup-winning coach Dav Whatmore reflected on the key reason why they lost in the final.

Whatmore explains India's defeat

“It was a difficult wicket to bat on, they probably faced the toughest task of the tournament at the wrong time. I was shocked to see that the ICC did not prepare a fresh wicket for such an occasion. I did not understand why they used an already-used pitch for the final. The dew factor also played a crucial role in the outcome of the final,” Whatmore said in WION’s sports podcast with Aditya Pimpale.

“Pat Cummins had a plan and he executed it to perfection that has seen him work the magic. His captaincy skills improved as the tournament went on. I am impressed with the way he used the resources at his disposal, particularly in the final. With the short experience he had managing the Australian 50-over team, it was remarkable,” Whatmore added.

India were outclassed on all fronts in the final of the ODI World Cup after their impressive batting line-up managed to put on only 240 runs in their 50 overs. KL Rahul was the top scorer for India with 66 runs while Virat Kohli scored his ninth fifty in the ODI World Cup on Sunday. In a fitting reply, the Aussies weathered the early pressure to clinch their sixth ODI World Cup after Travis Head scored a 137-run knock while Marnus Labuschagne scored an unbeaten 58. The pair stitched a partnership of 192 for the fourth wicket that laid the foundation for the win.