Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar said he is disheartened and disappointed with India’s loss, but a team can not rely on one or two batsmen to win the matches every time.
Speaking to India Today, Sachin Tendulkar said, “I am disappointed because we should have chased 240 without any doubt. It wasn’t a big total. Yes, New Zealand got off to a dream start by picking those three wickets upfront.”
“But I feel that we can’t be all the time relying on Rohit (Sharma) to give a good start or Virat (Kohli) to come and make sure that a solid foundation is built. Players around them also will have to take more responsibility,” Tendulkar continued.
Tendulkar also questioned the tactics behind sending Dhoni so late at number 7. Tendulkar believed that Dhoni’s best position is number 5 in the middle order. Also, he said that the middle order was equipped with enough experience to tackle the situation if the top order fails.
“It’s not fair all the time to expect Dhoni to come and finish the game. He has done it time and again,” Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar also says that fans shouldn’t be harsh on players for losing the semi-final, “We cannot be so critical with one failure. We cannot forget that we won 7 out of 8 games (in the league stage). Yes, all the teams have bad games, England also lost. They lost to Sri Lanka. We can’t be harsh on our team, it is a disappointing day, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow,”
Tendulkar praised New Zealand’s bowling display and tactical moves by Kane Williamson.
“I felt Kane Williamson’s captaincy was incredible. There came a stage where New Zealand kept things simple. If you saw their fast bowlers, they didn’t try too much upfront. They just bowled in the right areas, right channels, and got those wickets.”
New Zealand will play their second World Cup final on Sunday at Lord’s.
