Not many could have predicted an Australia-New Zealand final in this T20 World Cup when it began. Even if one went by the Super 12 round matches, England and Pakistan were the likely candidates for the summit clash. But that is how sport is — unpredictable.
Now that the Trans-Tasman rivals are pitted against each other, it does look like a perfect face-off.
Australia have won several titles in their rich cricketing history, but they are yet to be called the T20 world champions. Aaron Finch’s side will look to fix that.
New Zealand are much poorer in terms of trophies. They have never won a World Cup despite being one of the more consistent teams through the years. The agonising defeat in the 2019 ODI World Cup final is still fresh in their mind and Kane Williamson’s boys will give it their all to avoid another heartbreak.
New Zealand have been the better team in the recent years. This is their third straight ICC event final, while Australia have qualified for the big match for the first time since winning the 2015 50-over World Cup.
That the toss will be an important factor is an easy guess. Out of the 12 matches that have been played in Dubai in this tournament, 11 have been won by chasing teams.
In the all-important clash, the match-ups between the rival players will play a big role in deciding the winner. Here are a few of the battles that will be fought within the war:
Warner vs Boult
Batting first or second, the thrust that David Warner is capable of providing at the top of the order has always been crucial for Australia. The opener is also playing smart cricket by rotating the strike regularly and not just relying on the big hits. But how Warner combats the Trent Boult threat will be an important aspect of the game. Boult’s ability to get the ball to move may put Warner in trouble early in the innings as he has a tendency to poke at away-going deliveries.
⚫ Warner: Runs 236,
Avg. 47.20, S/r 148.42
⚫ Boult: Wkts 11, S/r 12.9, Econ. 6.54
Guptill vs Starc
What Warner does for Australia, Martin Guptill can do for New Zealand. An aggressor, Guptill is a clean hitter with excellent hand-eye coordination. The Australian bowlers know it well that they can ill-afford to drift from their lines and lengths while bowling to Guptill. And to neutralise him early, the Aussies would bank on Mitchell Starc. Remember how the left-arm quick’s swinging yorker knocked over Brendon McCullum in the 2015 World Cup final? Starc knows how to do it.
⚫ Guptill: Runs 180, Avg. 30, S/r 131.38
⚫ Starc: Wkts 9, S/r 15.3,
Econ. 8.17
Mitchell vs Zampa
Daryl Mitchell showed nerves of steel to take New Zealand home in their tough semi-final contest against England. Though he has proved his credentials as a match-winner, his game against spin doesn’t look too confident. The opener struggled with Liam Livingstone’s part-time spin in the semi-final. In Adam Zampa, Australia have a fine leg-spinner whose deceit and discipline have worked well in this World Cup. Can the hard-working Mitchell survive the Zampa test?
⚫ Mitchell: Runs 197, Avg. 39.40, S/r 140.71
⚫ Zampa: Wkts 12, S/r 11.5, Econ. 5.69
Maxwell vs Sodhi
Unlike his bang-bang form in the IPL, Glenn Maxwell hasn’t really fired in this tournament. But then, the Australian all-rounder cannot be underestimated, his improvising prowess making him a potent force in the middle order.
To counter that, the Black Caps will be banking on Ish Sodhi. The leg-spinner has been quite effective so far, both in taking wickets and tying up batsmen. He can use top-spin as well as variation in flight to confuse Maxwell.
⚫ Maxwell: Runs 36, Avg. 9,
S/r 78.26
⚫ Sodhi: Wkts 9, S/r 14, Econ. 7.33
Wade vs Neesham
Matthew Wade has to be counted as a strong finisher after what he did to Pakistan in the semi-final. The wicketkeeper-batsman can hit the big shots well. To combat Wade, especially his scoop shots, New Zealand may turn to Jimmy Neesham. Neesham bowls slow medium-pace, so executing the scoop and lap shots against him may not be too easy. Can Wade come up with a solution?
⚫ Wade: Runs 74, Avg. 74, S/r 164.44
⚫ Neesham: Wkts 3, S/r 20, Econ. 6.60
