- Indian cricket greats have made bizarre apologies
- The hosts were stunned by Australia in the World Cup final
- David Warner was unimpressed by the apology
Former India star Sanjay Manjrekar has tried to compare the Ahmedabad pitch to sandpaper in a bizarre attempt to explain why the Australian team is triumphing at the World Cup.
India are in mourning after their heroes fell short in the final against Pat Cummins’ side on Sunday, despite boasting the best batsman, best bowler and best form in the competition.
They were also the beneficiaries of a used pitch, the subject of much controversy during their semi-final win against New Zealand and in the build-up to the big match in Ahmedabad.
But the Australians pulled off a famous victory thanks to some excellent bowling from Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, as well as Travis Head’s sumptuous 137-run knock.
However, India are still coming to terms with their surprise defeat and have been dubbed ‘sore losers’ by the rest of the cricket world.
India has been accused of trying to rewrite history after its World Cup final defeat
Australia stunned the tournament hosts to win the competition on Sunday
Manjrekar has failed to help restore his country’s reputation after drawing wild comparisons with the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.
“The pitch was insipid, a bit rough at the top and probably turned over from the first ball, so Australia weren’t really taking much of a risk in going against the cliché of putting runs on the board in the big match,” wrote he for The Hindu Times.
‘They knew their pacers would get some lateral movement in the afternoon, and the sandpaper-like top meant the reverse swing could come into play, with Mitchell Starc one of the best exponents of it in the world at their side; also the slower balls would be a great option if nothing else worked.
“If the dew comes in later, the hitting would become easier, the ball wouldn’t spin as much, and the slower ball as a lifesaver for the seam when nothing works wouldn’t be an option.
“It was basically a ‘win-win’ scenario for the team that bowled first. After that it was just about execution.’
He further wrote, ‘To put it simply, India was the first to be defeated by circumstances’.
Mohammad Kaif also tried to undermine Australia’s performance, telling Star Sports: ‘I can never accept that the best team won the World Cup. The Indian team is the best team on paper.”
Unsurprisingly, this assessment has not been well received by cricket fans and pundits.
David Warner hit back at claims that India had ‘the best team on paper’
Former Australian star Damien Martyn posted on Twitter: “When you wake up and read this in the morning,” with a questioning face emoji.
David Warner, who opened the batting for Australia in the final, also made a brutal criticism of Australia’s opponents.
“I love MK, the problem is it doesn’t matter what’s on paper,” he tweeted.
‘Ultimately you have to perform when it matters. That’s why they call it a final. That’s the day that counts and it can go either way, that’s sports. 2027, here we come.”