Greg Chappell, a former captain of Australia, said he was happy with the way the ODI format is now set up and that it is in great shape.
Chappell’s remarks coincide with conversations about a possible 40-over format reduction because of the declining viewership. Chappell stated that ODI cricket is not only alive and growing but truly thriving, expressing his happiness with the World Cup.
“ODI cricket is alive and throbbing, not just thriving, and by many metrics, this tournament has been very successful.”
“After Sunday, there will be some withdrawal symptoms felt by cricket fans the world over.”
Chappell also praised Virat Kohli’s incredible achievement of hitting 50 hundreds in one-day cricket, calling it “fantastic.” He emphasized how important it was for Kohli to eclipse Sachin Tendulkar’s 49-century record.
The fact that Virat Kohli beat The Little Master to accomplish the mark puts the enormity of the achievement into perspective. “The fear of Virat Kohli to become the first man to score 50 centuries in ODI cricket is nothing short of fantastic,” Chappell continued.
Chappell emphasized that one of the key elements in guaranteeing India’s spot in the final of the World Cup was Kohli’s century against New Zealand in the semi-final. In head-to-head World Cup encounters, Australia has historically had the upper hand, but Chappell praised India’s impressive display, saying they had been playing exceptionally well.
Chappell thinks that in order for the Australian side to win their sixth World Cup final in eight years, they would need to come up with something “extra-special” in the India-Australia match. Chappell acknowledged Australia’s past dominance as knockout specialists despite their weaknesses in the competition.
“It will be up to this highly cohesive Australian team to find something really extra-special from within themselves if they are to make it their sixth win in eight World Cup finals — a phenomenal record, India has played brilliantly and does not have a chink in their armour,” Chappell said.
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