ICC WTC 2023-25 final: Aakash Chopra takes a dig at western media after 28 wickets fall on first two days at the Lord's

Aakash Chopra is currently commentating in ICC WTC 2023-25 final between South Africa and Australia.

Reputed cricket commentator Aakash Chopra has attacked the western media for their double standards amid the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. Australia and South Africa are clashing in the summit clash at the Lord’s, London.

Interestingly, the ICC WTC 2023-25 final witnessed many twists on a spicy Lord’s pitch on the first two days. A total of 28 wickets fell within the first two days as both Australia and South Africa batters struggled to score runs. Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bowl first in the match.

Pat Cummins & Co. were bowled out for 212 in the first innings, with Steve Smith and Beau Webster scoring half-centuries. Later, South Africa were bowled out for just 138 in the first innings, with no batters even scoring a fifty. At the stumps of day 2 on June 12, the Aussies lost eight of their wickets in the second innings.

Aakash Chopra attacks Western media on X

Chopra, who is currently commentating in the ICC WTC 2023-25 final, has attacked the western media after the Lord’s encounter witnessed 28 wickets falling within the first two days of the game. The former India batter said that if this happened in India, the western media would have criticised the pitch. However, they termed the Lord’s wicket as a sporting pitch in the ongoing South Africa vs Australia clash.

“If this were to happen in India, if these 28 wickets were to fall in India in a two-day game, then wouldn’t the Western media make such a fuss? What kind of wicket do they play on? What kind of pitch is this? The ball is turning on this, the ball is bouncing on this,” Chopra said on a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).

“The batting has become very difficult. What kind of a bad pitch is this? How can you allow such pitches? India is doctoring pitches and killing Test cricket. But when this happens in England, they say it’s a sporting pitch. It is phenomenal, you know, how good cricket is being played. And the defensive technique of the batters has gone bad,” the 47-year-old further added.

In the first innings, Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada grabbed a five-wicket haul. Cummins responded with a six-wicket haul, registering the best bowling figures (6/28) in the ICC WTC finals. Rabada bounced back with a four-wicket haul in the second innings, capturing a total of nine scalps in the clash.

Meanwhile, Australia have set a target of 282 runs for South Africa in ICC WTC 2023-25 final. In the second innings, Mitchell Starc slammed a crucial half-century to power Australia to 207/10.

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