Another Super Over should’ve happened in World Cup final, feels Sachin Tendulkar

Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar felt going for another super over would have done justice to picking the winner in the tight final of the ICC World Cup 2019 between England and New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday. The two teams were virtually left unseparated in terms of runs they scored and the Three Lions were announced the champions by the virtue of hitting more boundaries. Even as the cricketing fraternity found the criterion difficult to digest.

New Zealand won the toss and put up 241 for 8 in 50 overs before bowling England out for the same score in 50 overs. In the super over that followed, England made 15 for no loss and New Zealand too ended up with 15 for 1. According to Tendulkar, another super over would have separated the winner from the loser in the extra-ordinary situation that arose in the final of the 12th World Cup. The home team won the cup since they hit 24 boundaries while the Blackcaps hit 17.

“I feel there should be another super over to decide the winner, instead of considering the number of boundaries scored by both teams. Not just in a World Cup final. Every game is important. Like in football, when teams go into extra time, nothing else matters,” Tendulkar said on 100MB, his official cricket app.

A number of other Indian cricketers – current and former – slammed the rule of determining the World Cup winner on boundary count. New Zealand coach Gary Stead appealed to the International Cricket Council to review the rule.

India captain Virat Kohli felt after his team was knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals that the World Cup’s knock-out format should have something on the lines of the Indian Premier League where the top two teams get a second chance to make the final even after losing.

On the question of changing the format of the World Cup in the knock-out stages, the 46-year-old Master Blaster said: “I think the two teams that finish at the top should definitely have something going for them for having played consistently through the tournament.”

Tendulkar still feels that MS Dhoni should have batted at No.5 in semi-final

Tendulkar reiterated his opinion once again that India should have sent Mahendra Singh Dhoni at No.5 and not at No.7 in the semi-final knock against the Kiwis for he felt the ace wicketkeeper-batsman could have used his vast experience to build the innings.