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Rohit Sharma and Team India continued their winless streak in ICC tournaments in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final for the 2021-23 cycle. They were hammered by a margin of 208 runs by Australia at the Kennington Oval in London, with the Aussies confirming the win on Day 5 (Sunday, June 11).
The Pat Cummins-led unit completely dominated proceedings against India, who looked lackluster in their execution of plans in the game. Batting first, the Aussies piled on 469 runs before restricting India to just 296.
Cummins and Co. then declared their second innings on 270/8 before bowling their opponents out for 234 to secure a crushing victory and the title.
Following Australia's memorable win, Indian captain Rohit Sharma addressed a press conference. Interestingly, he was quite vocal about his opinions during the discussion.
When asked about the possible changes to the WTC final format, Rohit suggested that the summit clash should be a three-match affair instead of a one-off game.
In the post-match press conference, the opener opined:
"I would like to play the three-Test match series for the WTC Final. We worked hard and we fought but we played just 1 game. I think a three-match series would be ideal in the next WTC cycle."
While some cricketing pundits were already calling for the change put forward by Rohit, there are multiple former cricketers who disagree with Rohit's remarks.
In this listicle, we will take a look at those three former cricketers who criticized Rohit Sharma for his proposal of a three-match Test series to decide the WTC winners.
#3 Harbhajan Singh
Rohit Sharma's former Indian teammate in Harbhajan Singh was among those who disagreed with his opinion on having a best-of-three format for the ICC World Test Championship Final.
In his interview with Sports Today, the former Indian off-spinner gave examples of other big events in different sports to make his point. He further stated that one final is enough to decide the winners of the WTC.
Harbhajan said:
"I want to ask what will happen in 50-over World Cups. Do you want three finals there as well? If it was New Zealand vs England, would you say the same thing? No, you wouldn't. You'll say 'No, one final is enough.'
"So, 50-over World Cup - one final, Test Championship - one final. Biggest events of tennis and football World Cup have one final."
Following his comments involving the WTC final debate, Harbhajan Singh also faced backlash from followers on social media. Many users expressed their disagreement with the former cricketers's claim, while adding that they could see the logic behind Rohit Sharma's views.
They argued that all other tournaments are played over a shorter period, while the WTC lasts for around two years. As a result, many fans felt the Test Championship needs more than one game to decide the winners.
#2 Aaron Finch
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch also opposed Rohit Sharma's views and stated that a one-off final is "just the reality of scheduling." The former World Cup winner also mooted that if one team gets trounced or all three Tests are drawn in a series, the whole idea would be "a bit of a waste of time."
Talking to sen.com.au, Finch said:
"I think it’s just the reality of the scheduling and the time constraints on fixtures at the moment. I’ve got no issues with it, I think if it’s drawn out over three Tests, what happens if a team gets annihilated? It becomes a bit of a waste of time."
He added:
"We all play sport for the wins and the losses… I don’t have any issue with it at all."
It's interesting to note that Pat Cummins, the current Australian Test captain, also shared Finch's opinion and had no "qualms" about having a one-off Test.
#1 Sunil Gavaskar
Another former Indian legend who rejected Rohit Sharma's suggestion to have a best-of-three finals to conclude the World Test Championship was none other than Sunil Gavaskar.
The former Indian cricketer emphasised that there is only one final in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and no player requests a best-of-three outcome there. He believes that the same rationale applies for the WTC as well.
Strongly disagreeing with the prospect of a three-match final, Gavaskar deduced that anyone can have a bad day. However, if one can ask for a best-of-three finals, he feels they could also ask for a best-of-five finals as well.
Speaking to India Today after the match, Sunil Gavaskar was asked if WTC Finals should be best-of-three.
"No. I think it has been decided for a long time. Even before you enter the first match of the cycle, you know that the final is just going to be a one-off. So you have to be prepared, just like you are prepared in the IPL. You don't say there you want a best of 3," Gavaskar replied.
"Everybody can have a bad day. Everybody can have a bad couple of days. Tomorrow after Best of 3, you will say you want a Best of 5," he added.
India have now faced consecutive heartbreaks in the WTC final. Having fallen to New Zealand in a rain-affected encounter back in 2021, they have now suffered a heart-wrenching defeat against Australia this time around.
Ever since their defeat in the WTC 2021–23 final, the debate over whether to have a one-off Test or a best-of-three Test to decide the champions has been the talk of the town. However, as it stands, there have been no indications that the ICC will change the format just two years in.
It remains to be seen if the ICC will even debate the idea of changing the decision to let just one game decide who wins the WTC.
