The Australian cricket team continues with the tradition of making their presence felt in ICC tournaments. In the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup final, they turned up the style, and despite a Kane Williamson masterclass, Australia claimed the title seeing off New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday evening.
Australia, who had been runners-up in 2010, won at a canter as Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh took them over the line for a comprehensive 8 wicket win against New Zealand.
Australia are now the champions in the format in both the men's and women's game.
While Williamson put on an absolute masterclass in the first innings, timing it brilliantly and scoring all over the park, it was the forceful counter attack of David Warner and Mitchell Marsh that eventually prevailed.
After being dropped at 17, Williamson turned the corner with a masterclass to lift his team to an above-par total. For Australia, Josh Hazlewood was the pick of bowlers with 3/16 in four overs.
Opting to bowl first, Australia was able to keep New Zealand quiet in the Power-play. Hazlewood bowled three of his four overs for just 11 runs, including 14 dot balls, and took Daryl Mitchell's wicket in the fourth over. Hazlewood set up Mitchell with two deliveries outside the off-stump before slipping a slower one around off, foxing Mitchell into nicking behind to a forward-diving Matthew Wade. After that, Australia kept New Zealand on a tight leash, resulting in 32 runs being made in the Power-play.
Williamson broke the 32-ball boundary drought with back-to-back fours through extra cover and cow corner against Mitchell Marsh in the ninth over. Williamson had a breather in the 11th over as Hazlewood spilled the catch at long-leg off Mitchell Starc, with the ball rolling for four. On the next ball, Williamson muscled a straight drive, before pulling over deep mid-wicket on a no-ball to complete a hat-trick of boundaries.
In a bid to get moving, Guptill brought out the slog-sweep against Adam Zampa in the next over but mistimed it to deep mid-wicket. But Williamson marched on to smash consecutive sixes over deep mid-wicket to reach his half-century in just 32 balls, the fastest fifty in a men's T20 World Cup final. Glenn Phillips, promoted to No 4, took two boundaries off Zampa's final over as New Zealand continued their run-scoring.
Williamson went berserk in the 16th over, smacking Starc for 22 runs, including four fours and a six. But Australia bounced back in the 18th over as Hazlewood took out Phillips followed by Williamson in four balls. James Neesham and Tim Seifert hit a boundary each as New Zealand took 23 runs off the last two overs.
With the odds stacked heavily in their favour about successfully chasing down a score, Australia looked to their openers Aaron Finch and David Warner for a good start. Trent Boult however had other ideas, doing what he does best – striking in the powerplay, sending the captain packing for 5.
Warner and Mitchell Marsh counter attacked with a 92-run partnership that had the Kiwis frowning. The southpaw, who had recently been dropped by his IPL franchise SRH in the second phase, played yet another brilliant hand.
Warner brought out the full repertoire of shots in his half century, being particular severe on the spinners along with Marsh, scoring 53 off 38 deliveries. His smashed four boundaries and three sixes, while Marsh matched him shot for shot and the duo brought up their half-centuries in quick succession, putting Australia in a commanding position.
Post Power-play, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi kept things tight but Marsh and Warner were quick to thwart the plans of stemming the run-flow. While Marsh slog-swept Santner for a six over deep square leg, Warner slammed Sodhi for two fours and a gigantic six straight down the ground. Marsh welcomed James Neesham in the 11th over with a six over fine leg. It was followed by Warner reaching his half-century in 34 balls with a hoicked six over deep mid-wicket.
Williamson turned to Boult in the 13th over as Australia hurtled along. The season pacer struck yet again, knocking over Warner’s woodwork for 53 as NZ looked to claw their way back into the contest.
Marsh brought up his half-century in 31 balls with a flat slog over long-on off Sodhi, bettering Kane Williamson's record for the fastest fifty in Men's T20 World Cup final.
Maxwell joined Marsh after that and the duo continued to keep the momentum going, not allowing NZ bowlers to settle in and tighten things up.
With Maxwell doing his thing at his end, finding the boundary with absolute ease, Marsh continued in his free flowing ways. The NZ bowlers Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi found the going really difficult, as the Australian batters, especially, Warner first and Marsh after that, took them to the cleaners.
Maxwell hit a couple of boundaries against Milne and Southee in 15th and 16th overs as Australia inched closer to the target. Marsh struck two more boundaries before Maxwell finished off the chase with a reverse-sweep past the third man to send Australia into the celebratory mood.
Marsh finished unbeaten on 77, Maxwell rounded things off and stayed unbeaten on 28.
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