Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has dismissed Rohit Sharma’s suggestion of a three-match series to determine the winner of the World Test Championship (WTC). After India’s disappointing 209-run loss to Australia in the final match of the WTC 2023 at the Oval in London, Rohit expressed his preference for a multi-match format, believing it would provide a fairer opportunity for teams to compete for the coveted title.
Sunil Gavaskar () said, “Honest self-assessment is necessary after this loss. We got 2 matches against West Indies, you go & hammer them 2-0. But 2 years down the road you face Australia again in finals & make the same mistakes then how do we win the trophy?”#WTCFinal2023 pic.twitter.com/lDsPXcvjdp
— Vicky Singh (@VickyxCricket) June 11, 2023
In response, Gavaskar outrightly rejected Rohit’s idea, stating in an interview with India Today that the format of a one-off final had been decided long before the start of the WTC cycle. Drawing a comparison to the Indian Premier League (IPL), Gavaskar questioned whether players would also request a “best of three” format for the IPL. He emphasized that the rules had been established in advance, and players needed to be mentally prepared for a single Test match final.
Gavaskar said, “No. This has been decided for a long time; you know even before you enter that first match of the cycle that the final is going to be just a one-off. So, you have to be mentally prepared. Just like you prepare for the IPL, you don’t say best of three. Everybody can have a bad day or a couple of bad days, but before the first ball of the cycle, you know what it is. So, you can’t be asking for the best of three. Tomorrow, you may say best of five.”
Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, also rejected the idea of a best-of-three final, expressing his satisfaction with the existing format. Cummins even used the Olympic Games as an example, highlighting that in many sports, the ultimate prize is determined by a single race or match. He humorously mentioned the AFL and NRL seasons’ finals as further evidence of sport’s tendency to have decisive moments.
“I think it’s fine. No qualms. I think ideally you’d have a 50-match series, but the Olympics have come down to one race to win a gold medal. The AFL and NRL seasons have finals. That’s sport,” Cummins remarked. While Rohit Sharma’s idea of a three-match series may have been motivated by a desire for a fairer contest, the established format of a one-off final seems set to remain in place for the World Test Championship. Both Gavaskar and Cummins have provided arguments supporting the notion that sporting events often feature single decisive encounters, adding to their excitement and unpredictability.
