Veteran commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes Australia earned a huge advantage by winning the toss and electing to field first against India in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on Sunday. He also added that while Australia were the weaker team out of the two, they did well as the wicket was challenging to bat on in the afternoon.

While sharing his views on the playing conditions, Manjrekar wrote in his column for the Hindustan Times: “India losing the toss, for me was huge factor, all of us who saw the pitch before the match felt that it just gave the weaker team, Australia, more ammunition. Let me give you an example. The rough surface meant the ball moved off the seam a little and also didn’t skid onto the bat in the afternoon. That phenomenon took care of Shreyas Iyer. Reverse swing got KL Rahul.”

READ MORE: “Can be the future captain of India” – Kiran More on Ruturaj Gaikwad

Although he suggested that the toss played a major role, it is noteworthy that Indian captain Rohit Sharma revealed that he would have chosen to bat first anyway. The veteran also stated that the 2023 World Cup final would not have been a one-sided contest if it was played on a batting-friendly surface as well. While India were bowled out for 240 in the final after being asked to bat first, Australia successfully chased down the target with six wickets in hand. Australia’s Travis Head stepped up with the bat and also provided his team with a big breakthrough by taking a stunner to dismiss Rohit Sharma for 47.

“A good batting pitch and India would have managed to get over 300 and then we would have seen a better contest,” Manjrekar shared. “This unique surface meant the toss suddenly became a game changer, and Australia made their own luck by opting to bowl first.”

However, applauding Travis Head for remaining calm under pressure and completing the stunning catch, Manjrekar wrote: “The big moment for me was when Travis Head ran the way he did, backwards, and took that Rohit catch. It was as much about great athleticism as it was great temperament and the ‘champion DNA’ that Australian cricketers tend to have. At that moment in front of around 100,000 people. Head was thinking nothing else, not the stage, not whose catch it was, he was just driven to do the seemingly impossible because it just needed to be done.”

“To put it simply, the 10/10 India was beaten by the conditions first and then by a team who when it mattered, had individuals who dug deep to find the champion within,” Manjrekar signed off. “I believe India are still the best 50 overs team in the world, just that they don’t have the World Cup to show for it,” Sanjay Majrekar concluded