The ICC gave an average rating to eight pitches used for the 2023 World Cup, including the one used for the final between India and Australia.

The wicket for the summit clash in Ahmedabad was under the scanner even before the match started after it was confirmed that the game would be played on a used pitch. The India-Pakistan game had earlier been played on the same track, with the ICC also rating the wicket for that clash “Average”.

India went 97 balls without a single boundary in the final, struggling to reach 240 in their 50 overs. In reply, Australia, helped by the dew, chased down the target with relative ease, with Travis Head making a 120-ball 137.

The wicket for the second semi-final between Australia and South Africa played at Eden Gardens was also rated “Average”. Batting first, the Proteas were all out for 212, with Australia huffing their way to the total, losing seven wickets in total in 47.2 overs.

Incidentally, the wicket for the first semifinal between India and New Zealand, which attracted plenty of attention after allegations that the hosts swapped the pitch and opted for a used track, was given a “Good” rating.

Eden Gardens which won the award for the ‘Best Ground and Pitch’ in the 2023 IPL, hosted five games in the World Cup, with three games being played on pitches that eventually got an “Average” rating. Besides the second semi-final, the ICC also adjudged that the India-South Africa and Pakistan-Bangladesh matches were played on “Average” wickets.

The pitch for the World Cup opener between India and Australia in Chennai, where the eventual champions were dismissed for 199, was also given an “Average” rating. The wicket for India’s game against England at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium was also marked the same.

All the wickets, however, escaped any sanction, with the ICC only marking a pitch substandard if it gets a rating of poor or unfit.

Wickets that were rated “Average” by the ICC in the World Cup:

India v Australia, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
India v Pakistan, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
India v England, Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
Pakistan v Bangladesh, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India v South Africa, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Australia v Bangladesh, MCA Stadium, Pune
Australia v South Africa semi-final, Eden Gardens, Kolkata
India v Australia final, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

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