Australia have made it to yet another ODI World Cup final. They defeated South Africa by 7 wickets in the second semi-final on Thursday, setting a meet-up with India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19. The chase of 213 turned tricky after the Aussies lost a couple of wickets in quick succession in the middle overs but they managed to cross the finish line with 16 balls to spare.
The Australians will now move to Ahmedabad to play the grand finale of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Sunday against an invincible India. But before the much-anticipated clash, Iceland Cricket has taken a cheeky jibe at the 5-time champions, suggesting they must check everything – from the metal of the coin, to be used for the toss, to the alignment of the moon and venus – before locking horns with the hosts.
Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts.
“Message to the Aussies: check everything before the final. The metal and markings on the coin, the weight of the roller, the toxins in the dressing room’s paint, the alignment of the Moon and Venus, etc. Leave nothing to chance, since you don’t want to end up feeling insecure,” the Iceland Cricket posted on X.
The social media post of the Iceland Cricket Board comes after the Aussie media reported about the changing of the pitch in Mumbai followed by Ahmedabad by the BCCI to favour Indian bowlers.
It was first reported before the first semi-final at Wankhede in which India defeated New Zealand in a tense encounter by 70 runs. However, losing captain Kane Williamson ruled out any issue with the strip which produced a balanced contest between the two teams. Centuries from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer powered India to a mammoth total of 397 in the first innings. In reply, the Kiwis posted 327 before Shami tore their batting line-up apart.
Foreign media – the likes of Daily Mail and The Age – had also reported the possible change of the pitch in Ahmedabad for the finals, even before the knockouts got underway. The reports were condemned by a lot of former cricketers with Sunil Gavaskar, the Indian batting great, lashing out at the people for taking potshots at India.
“This has been such a good pace to be gone. On what 420-430 runs score scored, all those morons who are talking about the pitch being changed so that it gives Indian bowlers the favour,” Gavaskar told the broadcasters after the end of the match,” Gavaskar told the official broadcasters after the first semi-final in Mumbai.
“I hope that they will stop taking potshots at India just because help you to get your eyeballs or whatever it was. Even if it was it was before the toss for both teams. It wasn’t changed in the beginning. It wasn’t changed, you know after the toss was done. You are a good enough team to play on that pitch and you win and India have done that. They are already talking about Ahmedabad, the other semifinal hasn’t taken place yet,” he added.
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