3 times pitch conditions caused controversy in a World Cup match ft. IND vs NZ semi-final

The first semi-final of the ICC ODI World Cup between Team India and New Zealand has got underway at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, November 15.

The Men in Blue finished atop the points table by winning all nine games. Their opponents, meanwhile, had a mid-tournament stumble before finishing fourth and qualifying for the semi-final. Yet, the Kiwis have had the wood over India in ICC events, winning nine of the 13 completed matches.

Included is the Kiwis scoring a shocking upset over the much-fancied Indian side in a similar first vs fourth semi-final clash of the 2019 ODI World Cup in Manchester.

However, the hosts emerged victorious in the league stage of the 2023 ODI World Cup meeting between the sides by four wickets in Dharamsala.

Meanwhile, the Wankhede wicket has been the talking point during the build-up of this clash, creating a wave of controversy. Similarly, there have been other instances where discussions over the pitch took centerstage in previous editions of the World Cup.

Let us look at the three instances where pitch conditions caused controversy in a World Cup match.

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#1 India vs New Zealand - 2023 World Cup semi-final

The India-New Zealand semi-final of the 2023 World Cup is the latest to be hit by a controversy surrounding the pitch. The game at the Wankhede Stadium was initially slated to be played on a fresh pitch, the central strip (Pitch 7).

However, a late decision was made to shift the game to the sixth pitch, which has already hosted two matches - South Africa vs England and India vs Sri Lanka.

The change is a last-minute deviation from the pitch allocation done before the start of the 2023 World Cup. As per reports, 6-8-6-8-7 was the planned rotation at Wankhede, and 6-8-6-8 has been used so far with Pitch 7 as the final game (semi-final) in Mumbai.

Reports suggested that the Indian team management requested a slower surface in the first semi-final to suit the team better. Although the BCCI has been accused of doctoring pitches in an ICC event, the playing condition for the World Cup states that it is well within the rules.

It states:

"The relevant 'ground authority' is "responsible for the selection and preparation of the pitch" before any given match - in this case, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA)."

However, it is understood that ICC's independent pitch consultant, Andy Atkinson, has become frustrated by changes to pre-agreed plans throughout the World Cup. It remains to be seen should India make the final at Ahmedabad if a similar change in the strip could happen.

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#2 Pakistan vs Zimbabwe - 2015 World Cup

Former Pakistan pacer Sarfraz Nawaz made headlines during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with his comments stating that the pitches have been tailored to suit the Indian team.

His remarks came after Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 20 runs on a two-paced surface at the Gabba in Brisbane. Meanwhile, at this point, India played on three batting-friendly wickets against Pakistan, Australia, and the U.A.E at Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth.

On a TV Channel show following the Pakistan-Zimbabwe clash, Sarfraz said:

"You look at the matches played so far in this World Cup that where India has played the pitches have been prepared to suit their strengths. Look at today's match [ Pak-Zim], the pitch was double paced and had lot of bounce which goes against our strengths. I would ask Pakistan Cricket Board to take up this issue with the ICC and find out what is going on."

India defeated Pakistan in the sides' respective tournament openers by 76 runs after scoring 300 at the Adelaide Oval. While the issue wasn't taken up by the ICC, it caused a war of words between experts and fans of the rival nations.

Both teams eventually stumbled in the knockout stage of the World Cup. India lost against Australia in the semi-final, while Pakistan went down against the same opponent in the quarter-final.

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#3 India vs New Zealand - 2019 World Cup

The pitches in the 2019 ODI World Cup came under much scrutiny for being vastly different to those usually found in England.

The uproar multifolded when India lost to New Zealand in a low-scoring semi-final by 18 runs in Manchester. Despite chasing only 240 for victory, Team India stumbled on a tacky pitch to be bowled out for 221.

Contrary to the high-scoring pitches in the build-up to the tournament in England, the World Cup had several lower-scoring games, much to the dismay of fans, experts and even participating players.

However, the ICC denied providing instructions to the local groundsmen for preparing slower wickets than usual.

"Essentially the venues are responsible for the pitch preparation which is done with oversight and guidance from the ICC and our independent pitch consultant," the ICC stated.

"The guidance we give any host of an ICC event is to prepare the best possible pitches for the conditions in that country – so in this case the best possible ODI pitch for typical English conditions and we would also look for even bounce and good carry. The ICC does not instruct groundsmen to prepare pitches in a certain way to advantage, or disadvantage, any team," it added.

The grand finale also saw a similarly low-scoring contest, with England and New Zealand playing out a tie, scoring 241 each.

England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow and commentator Mark Butcher were among those who questioned the nature of the pitches for the home World Cup.