After four weeks of thrilling T20I cricket it’s all come down to this, as New Zealand take on Australia in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.
Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first against New Zealand as the first momentum swing of the 2021 World Cup Final went Aaron Finch’s way.
A new men’s T20 World Champion will be crowned at the Dubai International Stadium today, and first-time finalists New Zealand go into the biggest game of their T20I careers with an enforced change after Devon Conway was ruled out through a broken hand. Tim Seifert comes into the side in his place, making a second appearance of the tournament and his first since the opening loss to Pakistan.
Australia are unchanged from their stunning win over Pakistan in the final four, a victory that perfectly encapsulated the Aussies game plan, one that could yet see them win the World Cup as the sixth-ranked side at the tournament.
“We came here with a clear plan to try to win this tournament, captain Aaron Finch said ahead of today’s match. “We always felt as though we’ve got the depth of the squad and the quality in our squad to put ourselves in a position to do that.”
The Black Caps reached the final thanks to victory over England in the first semi-final, with Jimmy Neesham’s late onslaught completing a fine chase. There were more than a few similarities between that knock and Matthew Wade’s effort in the second semi-final, and Kane Williamson is expecting today’s match to be no different, coming down to match-defining moments and individual contributions.
“You know, obviously we saw a pretty exciting semi-final,” Williamson said. “Both semi-finals actually were somewhat similar, where you do see moments in games that are match-defining, and you see games that can take quite a sharp turn when you have some key performances.”
Road to the Final
New Zealand have been disciplined and consistent through the tournament, not having lost a game since their opening match defeat against Pakistan. Their bowling attack has been one of the best in the tournament, adjusting to conditions in the UAE well, and they have been expertly rotated by captain Williamson. While there has been no standout batter, several of them have put their hand up at crucial points, and have been especially effective at the death. In the semi-final against England, it was Jimmy Neesham and Daryl Mitchell who swung hard in the final overs and knocked out the No.1 side.
Australia opened their campaign with a tight win against South Africa but two games later were brushed aside by England. However, big wins in the rest of the Super 12 stage boosted their net run rate and they made it to the semis. There, against Pakistan, they were firmly on the back foot despite a brisk knock from David Warner, when Matthew Wade took on Shaheen Afridi with three sixes in the 19th over to finish a thrilling game.
The Teams
New Zealand XI: Martin Guptill, Daryll Mitchell, Kane Williamson (captain), Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi
Australia XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (captain), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
More to follow…
