Ahmedabad: The last time a World Cup final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in 2023, there was a lot of chatter around the pitch.
While the surface was designed for a slow, turning track, it became sluggish, making it hard for India to score in the first innings.
The Australian pacers used the surface to their advantage; Pat Cummins & Co bowled many cutters, cross-seam short balls, and change-of-pace deliveries to scuttle the home team batters.
The India batters couldn’t get the value for their strokes and ended up at a below par score of 240.
A similar surface can backfire on India against New Zealand. The challenge facing the Kiwis is that they are among the smartest operating teams. When they know the pitch favours one way or the other, they will be ready with their plans and execute them well.
The Indian supporters will be hoping that lessons learnt from the 2023 final will be applied to for the pitch preparation for Sunday’s title clash.
Suryakumar Yadav’s side will be better off playing on a pitch similar to those used in the five-match T20I series which they won comfortably 4-1. Those were high-scoring games on good batting surfaces that took New Zealand’s spin threat out of the equation. This means a pitch with true bounce, like the one India played their semi-final on at Wankhede Stadium, will be better suited.
The other point compared to Wankhede Stadium is the fast outfield. It suits the Indian batters who rely more on timing than power. India managed only 13 fours and three sixes in the 2023 ODI Cup final. Travis Head alone hit 15 fours and one six.
The designated centre pitch for Sunday’s final is a mix of red and black soil. The surface is expected to have good pace and bounce.
It was used only in one game during this tournament – the South Africa versus Canada match, which South Africa won by 53 runs after scoring 213.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said: “I haven’t had a look at the wicket yet. It’s still under cover. But I can only assume it’s going to be pretty flat and high scoring.”
On Saturday, with the sun beating down hard and the temperature hovering around 37 degrees, the pitch was kept covered throughout the day. The cloth was lifted towards the end of New Zealand’s afternoon practice. Captain Santner and batter Daryl Mitchell had a long, hard look at the surface.
During this World Cup, at Ahmedabad, both India and New Zealand have lost to South Africa – India in their Super Eights, by 76 runs in a chase of 187 and New Zealand by seven wickets when South Africa chased down 177.
