Image Credit- PTI
Hit the scoreboard, come to the major finals! In
cricket, it’s a tried-and-true strategy, but Pat Cummins ignored it when he
wrote Australia’s thrilling victory over India in the ODI World Cup final. Five
nights have passed since then, and India is currently leading Australia 1-0 in
their bilateral Twenty20 International series. Nevertheless, the hosts’
self-deception has left supporters heartbroken.
Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket-taker among
spinners in World Cup history, stirs the debate further. “I think in a final in
the sub-continent, I would always bat second because of the dew,” he said in an
interview to mark ‘800’ – his biopic’s OTT release on Jio Cinema. “Australia
gauged the conditions right. We did the same thing in the 1996 World Cup final.
It was a similar score we were chasing (242). We had seen the dew on the
previous day. Arjuna and Aravinda chased it down with 7 wickets to spare.
Sometimes, you just have to go back to history.”
Rohit Sharma said at the toss, India would have batted
first anyway if he called the coin right. “In the 2011 World Cup final, we made
the same mistake. Kumara Sangakkara wanted to bat first and we struggled. We
got a decent score. We got two early wickets, even the third wicket on time
before the dew came and we couldn’t control the ball. It was one way traffic
after that. Gambhir and Dhoni finished the match,” he said.
With his final wicket coming from his 800th victim in
the Galle Test against India, Muralitharan enjoyed a satisfying conclusion to
his career. Will Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, have the chance to write a
fantastical conclusion in T20I cricket? Does he deserve a spot?
“You look at his ODI World Cup performance. The starts
he gave, the kind of strike rates he batted at. He never failed in the
tournament. And he’s only 36, that’s young. He can play another World Cup if he
pushes his fitness like Virat,” he says.
The spin great is of the opinion, the strike rate
debate in T20 is overplayed. “Why are people taking such harsh calls that it is
the right time to go and bring youngsters. Until they are fit and performing,
let them play,” he says. “Rohit batted with a strike rate of 130 in ODIs, which
is not bad for T20. He’s an experienced player. You just have to work harder on
your fitness after 35. If the desire is there, he’ll play. I think he’ll
definitely play another World Cup. It’s on his mind.”