In the 2023 ODI World Cup final between India and Australia, Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first, surprising many in the cricketing community.
Australia's decision to bowl first proved successful as they went on to win the World Cup by defeating India by six wickets.
Indian off-spinner Ashwin Ravichandran, in a YouTube video, shared his conversation with Australian chief selector George Bailey during the innings break.
In contrast, black soil turns flat like concrete under lights, providing better conditions for batting. Bailey's insight left Ashwin in awe of Australia's understanding of the playing conditions.
Ashwin highlighted the variety of conditions offered by pitches in India and mentioned that the IPL has familiarized touring teams with these conditions.
Despite the expectation of dew playing a role in the second innings, Australia's bowlers, particularly Pat Cummins, were able to extract more from the pitch than their Indian counterparts.
The toss is usually not a factor at Wankhede, but in this event, it has been with the side batting first, batting big each time and while defending the target, triggering a collapse with seam in the first ten overs.
Cummins, who had struggled as an ODI bowler leading up to the World Cup, showcased an impressive performance in the final. Ashwin highlighted Cummins' use of cutters and his ability to bowl to a spinner-type field, describing it as a game-breaking spell.