Australia have done it! The most dominant 50-over side has finally clinched its maiden T20 title. They defeated New Zealand in a rather one-sided chase by 8 wickets. Mitchell Marsh, for his unbeaten 77 runs, was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’. David Warner was named ‘Player of the Series’ after resurrecting from a disappointing IPL season to help Australia win their first T20 World Cup.
The toss once again played a critical role in the match, as it had throughout the tournament, with the Australians opting to field first. It was a tournament that exceeded and defied all expectations, including the coin toss. However, Kane Williamson admitted that they were outplayed by a better team. New Zealand have had a fantastic season, and they are a team that’s improving in all formats under Williamson.
The Kane Williamson show
Australia got off to a solid start, limiting New Zealand to 57-1 in their first ten overs. But then one of the best modern-day batters took over, and everything changed. Kane Williamson took on Australia’s fifth bowler and paced his inning. In the middle overs, he smashed Maxwell and forced Finch to take him out of the attack. He smashed five boundaries in Mitchell Starc’s 16th over, helping New Zealand surpass 170.
Unfazed Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazlewood was Australia’s stand-out bowler, as he not only dismissed the Kiwi captain to stop the carnage but also shifted the momentum in Australia’s favor later in the innings. Hazlewood used cutters and variations to deny the batters both space and pace. He gave up only 16 runs in his four overs while picking up three wickets.
Warner smashes Ish Sodhi
New Zealand leggie, Ish Sodhi, has been their standout bowler. So Warner’s strategy was simple – he would not allow him to settle. He was having some fun with Ish Sodhi. The first two balls he faced from Sodhi weren’t bad, but he wasn’t about to let the legspinner settle as he transitioned into the offensive mode. He smashed the wide-ish length straight past the bowler for four runs. Sodhi straightened his line on the next ball, and Warner reverse-paddled him for a nice double past backward point. Warner hit a quick fifty as the Australians thrashed Sodhi for 40 runs in three overs.
Mitchell Marsh: Australia’s new number three
Australia had benefited greatly from the addition of Mitchell Marsh at number three. Explosive openers allow Marsh to settle and pace his innings, but in the Final, Marsh was at his explosive best. While Warner took his time to settle down and pace his innings, Marsh scored 14 runs off his first three balls, transferring the pressure back on the New Zealand bowlers. His ability to hit boundaries never allowed the required run rate to rise. He scored 77 runs from 50 balls, including 10 boundaries. Harsha Bhogle perfectly summed up Marsh’s career, which has so much caliber and quality to offer but is also decimated by injuries, on Twitter, he said “Hopefully, his body will become a partner in his future because he is far too talented to be playing with what little he has.”
Australia’s World Cup victory is nothing short of a fairy tale. They are coming off a five-series losing streak, having been battered and bruised in their respective backyards by the West Indies (4-1) and Bangladesh (4-1) just before this tournament.
In the Super 12, they were thrashed by archrivals England. But, as is customary, Australia is the team of big tournaments. They not only avenged themselves by defeating Bangladesh and the West Indies in the Super 12s, but they also ensured they finished ahead of South Africa in terms of NRR. The semifinal was a textbook example of why you should never count them out. With 62 required off the final five overs, they turned to two warriors in Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade Finally, Warner’s resurgence, combined with attacking marsh and experienced Hazlewood, sealed the deal for Australia.