Cricket: Should have been WTC Final 'series' and not just WTC Final, says Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has pushed for an 'ICC World Test Championship Final Series' rather than a one-off match.India and New Zealand will go facing each other in the final of the World Test Championship at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, which begins on June 18.

Tendulkar feels a WTC final series would be ideal to crown the victor. Expressing the explanation, the batting maestro referred to that each group has played in a few Test series including a few matches to get to this point.

In a conversation with Times of India, Sachin Tendulkar said: “In the case of Test cricket, to get to the final, you’re playing two or three-Test series, or for that matter, against four matches in a series. And then you play just one Test to decide the championship."

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"Where’s the continuity? It should actually be a World Test Championship series, not just one match. Because to get to this point, you’ve played Test series involving two or three Tests or more. So, it shouldn’t have just been a World Test Championship Final but the World Test Championship Final Series. Because you’ve played series to get to this point.”

Nonetheless, the International Cricket Council has expressed a three-match arrangement is improbable even later on due to the rigorous plan followed by the global cricket schedule.

Numerous previous cricketers have supported the Black Caps to begin the much-awaited inaugural Final as top choices. Tendulkar additionally feels playing two matches against England paving the way to the WTC final will give New Zealand some edge over the Indians.

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“This is, without any doubt, another way to look at it. New Zealand will have that slight edge because they’ve played the two Tests against England while India hasn’t had practice matches except for playing between themselves” - he added.

Sachin Tendulkar feels the recently concluded series among England and New Zealand might have occurred after the WTC final as it no affected the worldwide competition.

“I don’t know when New Zealand vs England series was decided. I’d like to believe that it was decided way in advance, way before New Zealand booked their spot in the Final. Maybe it’s a coincidence. This England vs New Zealand series was not going to contribute to the WTC Final. So, maybe the WTC Final first and then this series could have been staged” - he signed off.