Martin Guptill’s direct hit to run out MS Dhoni for 77 had propelled New Zealand into the finals of the ICC World Cup 2019. And when he took the field on Sunday, 14 July, for the historic summit clash at Lord’s, little did he know that he would have such a big role to play in the result.
Sent in to open the innings, Guptill lasted seven overs, out lbw on 19 to Chris Woakes. But he wasted New Zealand's umpire referral on a plumb call.
Then, as the hosts needed nine runs off the last three balls in their chase of New Zealand’s 241/8, Guptill prevented a boundary but his throw for an attempted run out hit Stokes' bat and deflected to the boundary, adding six runs in all to England's total.
The scores ended up tied, which prompted a Super Over. There was no hesitation sending out the big-hitting Guptill. And, he was just three meters short of being the hero, getting run-out on the last ball as the scores for the one-over eliminator were levelled.
In all of this, Twitter was divided. There was one section of the internet that sympathised with the 32-year-old, who could have been playing his final World Cup for his country.
Others, however, asked why he was even sent out to bat in the Super Over, when he had hardly performed during the remainder of the tournament – scoring 186 runs in 10 innings.
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