India, March 7 -- The last time a World Cup final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in 2023, there was a lot of chatter around the pitch.

While the surface was designed for a slow, turning track, it became sluggish, making it hard for India to score in the first innings.

The Australian pacers used the surface to their advantage; Pat Cummins & Co bowled many cutters, cross-seam short balls, and change-of-pace deliveries to scuttle the home team batters.

The India batters couldn't get the value for their strokes and ended up at a below par score of 240.

A similar surface can backfire on India against New Zealand. The challenge facing the Kiwis is that they are among the smartest operating teams. When they know the pitch favours o...