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World Cup writer's notebook: I hate World Cup finals and I know exactly why

Sidharth Monga feels the unbearable vacuum of the end of a long cricket tour

Writers

Mark Nicholas

Look ma, no fingernails Astonishing, unprecedented, lucky, smart, brilliant, unlucky, flattering, faltering, preposterous - the World Cup final was all that and more
George Dobell

'If you'd said four years ago I'd be a World Cup winner now, I might not have believed you' Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan and other England players recount the thrilling World Cup final at Lord's
Andrew Fidel Fernando

Ethiopian delights and Colombo evenings What's a World Cup tour writer's life like? All about recording podcasts in cemeteries and being mistaken for a taxi driver, of course
Osman Samiuddin

What the luck! New Zealand, and the randomness of life (or a World Cup final) The way the World Cup final ended highlighted the deep sense of New Zealand's loss and the cruelty of it all
Ian Chappell

An Australia-India final is likely and that's not good for the game The semi-final line-ups have surprised no one. The game needs a jolt now
S Rajesh

Where the World Cup final could be won and lost The match-up for Sunday is an interesting one because it pits the most aggressive batting line-up of the tournament against the best bowling unit
Sidharth Monga

Why count boundaries to determine who wins a World Cup? Here are three better ways It is shameful that an all-time classic final left a sour taste in viewers' mouths because of the way the winner was determined
Steven Lynch

Who bowled the most dot balls in the 2019 World Cup? He ended up on the winning side... just about
Aakash Chopra

What India need to do against Sri Lanka's key players How they face up to Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga will be crucial
Paul Edwards

South Northumberland prepares to showcase north-east passion for the game As the Royal London Cup comes to Gosforth, it is a reminder of the strength of the club scene in England's north east
Andrew McGlashan

Alex Carey quietly proves his mettle Away from the spotlight, the Australia wicketkeeper has had a superb World Cup, showing his adaptability with the bat
Tim Wigmore

Heartbreak in Harare One year ago, Scotland missed out on the World Cup by five runs
Andrew Miller

England ride their World Cup luck for perfect day that may yet save tomorrow With nothing less than the future of English cricket at stake, an extraordinary final helped reconnect the masses with the country's summer sport
Mohammad Isam

Shakib's masterplan: Allrounder's stellar showing was no fluke His World Cup dominance was the result of meticulous preparation, from pushing for the No 3 spot to using his long IPL downtime