World Cup trophy could have been shared, says Dav Whatmore

"I thought it was very good, it lived up to expectations. Unfortunate that they had a couple of injuries. The no. 4 position kept sticking up, asking for a better solution. India over the course of the tournament did a very good job, unfortunately the first 10 overs of the semifinal against New Zealand proved very costly," he said. He, however, did not want to be drawn into the topic of who should have batted at no. 4 for India in the semifinal and said the team's think-tank would have given thought before taking a call. The Sri Lanka-born Australian, however, said he was in not favour of an IPL-style knock-outs (which include qualifier and eliminator) for the World Cup. "It is possible. The argument is that you get a reward for finishing on top of the table and that you deserve a second chance. I think that's the beauty of the tournament (IPL). It would be nice to keep it that way. It is unfortunate that it happened, but other unfortunate things also happened," he added. Whatmore said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's contribution to Indian cricket must be kept in mind and even if he has to retire he must be allowed to go on his terms.

"Calls for Dhoni's retirement, I think it is a bit unfair. It is time for him to retire... but because he has done so much for India, he deserves the time to take the call," he said. Whatmore painted a bright future for India and said the country boasted of several quality batsmen and a strong bowling unit. He said talented players like Shubman Gill can have a long career ahead of them. "It is all positive. India has a number of quality batsmen, a strong bowling line-up. I think it is a matter of time before Shubman Gill comes in, what a player. He has got the technique to be a no. 4, he can be groomed for that, I am sure he will have a long career," he signed off.

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