India spinner R Ashwin has shed light on his conversation with Australia selector George Bailey during the World Cup 2023 final. Ashwin shared the details on his YouTube channel, revealing his initial surprise at Australia choosing to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The decision puzzled many, including India captain Rohit Sharma, who expected teams to opt for batting first due to the anticipated slow pitch.
"Australia totally deceived me personally, I had a chat with George Bailey during the mid innings, I asked him why didn't you guys bat first like you always do - he answered back, 'we have played IPL and bilateral series here a lot - red soil disintegrates but not black soil and it gets better under lights'," Ashwin revealed what George Bailey told him in the final.
"There is no impact on dew on red soil but black soil has good turn in afternoon and then it will be a concrete in night - this is our experience," Ashwin further added.
In the final, Australia successfully defended their decision to bat first. They restricted India to 240 runs and comfortably chased down the target in the second innings when the ball stopped swinging under lights. Travis Head's outstanding century played a pivotal role in Australia's victory. Head was named the player of the match, while Virat Kohli received the player of the series award.
