Australia reassert their World Cup dominance and give New Zealand that familiar feeling

AADAM PATEL IN DUBAI: As Australian players streamed onto the outfield, Mitch Marsh removed his helmet to let out an almighty roar and embraced his batting partner Glenn Maxwell, before dropping down in a ball of emotion

Never write Australia off. The stage may have been different. A first-ever all-Antipodean affair between Australia and New Zealand in the Middle East. And yet the outcome was an all too familiar one as the green and gold, powered by the might of Mitchell Marsh with a superb innings on the biggest stage of them all, defeated the Black Caps yet again to win their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Dubai.

“Most of Australia hate me” were Marsh’s words during an Ashes press conference in 2019. This is a man who has had an often fractious relationship with supporters and a career full of ups and downs. It’s fair to say that Marsh might be looked at slightly differently now as Australia wakes up to the news they are world champions yet again. 

It was a knock worthy of the stage from a man who just a fortnight ago was left out of the Australia side as were thrashed by England. How quickly things can change.

As Glenn Maxwell reverse swept Tim Southee to hit the winning runs and Australian players streamed onto the outfield, Marsh removed his helmet to let out an almighty roar and embraced his batting partner, before dropping down in a ball of emotion. The 30-year-old was truly exhausted but it was his 77* off 50 deliveries, including six fours and four sixes and the fastest half-century in a T20 World Cup Final, that ultimately drove Australia home with ease.

From the moment he dispatched his first ball of the final for six, Marsh played an innings of the highest class as he took the game to the Black Caps alongside the player of the tournament David Warner, and then finished off the job with Maxwell, who was almost in tears as his captain and former housemate Aaron Finch came running over to hug him.

Despite the best efforts of the New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, who played a brilliant innings with the joint-highest score in a T20 World Cup final, Australia cruised home chasing down the biggest target ever set in a T20 World Cup final with seven balls to spare. 

Aaron Finch won the toss and as expected, chose to field. With only one team successfully defending their total in Dubai thus far, New Zealand knew they had to set a challenging total and that was exactly what they did.

Daryl Mitchell, started off where he left off in Abu Dhabi after a match-winning knock against England, welcoming Maxwell into the attack by smashing his first ball back over his head for six. But he was gone in the next over nicking one behind off Josh Hazelwood and at 32 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, Australia would certainly have been the happier side - it was New Zealand’s lowest powerplay score of the World Cup.

^{Australia men ended their long way for a T20 world title}

Kane Williamson, who had been striking at less than run a ball all tournament, was on just 21 off 22 deliveries, when he shovelled a full toss from Mitchell Starc to Hazlewood at deep fine leg. Inexplicably, the ball went through the Australian’s hands before bobbling over the rope. Hazlewood had dropped a regulation catch and it was a moment that signalled a change in momentum and sparked a shift in the captain’s approach.

Williamson remarkably switched gears without a slog in sight. The New Zealand skipper crunched the next ball straight past Starc, before dispatching a high no-ball full-toss for a third consecutive boundary.

Despite Martin Guptill finding Marcus Stoinis in the deep off the bowling of Adam Zampa the very next over, Williamson marched on. Maxwell was sent for two sixes in the 13th. The first, a shot that Rishabh Pant would have been proud of as Williamson hit a one-hander and the very next ball, he swept one into the stands to bring up his half-century off just 32 deliveries.

The Kiwis were on the charge. Glenn Phillips -  the man with the most sixes in T20 cricket in 2021 - welcomed Zampa’s final over by thumping him straight back down the ground. At the end of the 15th over, New Zealand had doubled where they were at the halfway stage.

The 16th was sheer madness as Williamson took Starc for 24, with one six and four fours. Starc, often so reliable with the ball in hand, ended up going for 60 in his four overs and Australia looked like they were up against it.

It was apt that Williamson (85) was eventually dismissed by the man who dropped him. Hazlewood removed both Phillips and Williamson in his final over, finishing with exceptional figures of 3 for 16, however, he’d have gone into the interval hoping that his drop wouldn’t prove costly. 

Williamson hit 64 off the 25 subsequent deliveries and at the interval, New Zealand had the highest total in a men’s T20 World Cup final of 172 for 4.

And when Finch top-edged a short delivery from Trent Boult, New Zealand must have sensed an opportunity to do something they hadn’t done since 1981 and beat Australia in a knockout game.

^{Kane Williamson had the familiar feeling of being a runner-up again}

That was, however, about as good as it got. Marsh walked out to the crease with a job to do and like a man on a mission smashed Adam Milne for six, four, four off his first three deliveries and he never looked back. Both him and Warner accelerated with ease, regularly hitting boundaries and nullifying the New Zealand spin pair of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner. At the midway mark, it was Australia well and truly in the ascendancy, as they needed 91 from 60 with nine wickets in hand.

After drinks, Williamson turned to the man of the moment from their semi-final in Jimmy Neesham. Yet, for all the talk about Neesham having a job to finish, Marsh signalled his intent by swatting him for six over fine-leg, before Warner cashed in with another maximum to bring up his half-century.

Boult returned to castle Warner, but Australia’s attacking intent was exemplified by the decision to send in Maxwell instead of Steve Smith. With 63 needed off 40, the task was by no means a simple one, but both Marsh and Maxwell ensured that it would be a procession, rather than a struggle.

Sodhi, brilliant all tournament, conceded 16 in an over as Marsh went down on one knee to send him into the stands to bring up a fifty of his own - surpassing Williamson’s earlier as the fastest in a T20 World Cup Final.

It was left for Marsh and Maxwell to take Australia to a famous victory. Just like in 2015 in Melbourne in the 50-over World Cup final between these two sides, it was Australia who came out on top.

For Williamson and New Zealand, it was yet another limited-overs final where they have ended up on the losing side. 

Australia, so often renowned for their know-how and experience across tournaments, now hold both the men and women’s T20 World titles.

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