In the end, on final night, the predicted edge to the trans-Tasman rivalry went absent without leave. Australia’s top order was so clinical with the bat, so absolutely thorough in their approach, so vicious on anything slightly awry from the New Zealand bowlers, so ruthless in a chase of 173, that it feels almost strange to introduce them as the new T20 World Cup champions.
This honour should have come a long time back, especially with Australia’s impressive pedigree in tournament play, the personnel at their disposal and the nerveless ability to turn the aggressive pursuit of victory into a fine art. That, of course, and the presence of a certain David Warner (53
of 38 balls; 4x4, 3x6).
Written off for his lack of runs, looking undercooked for much of the year, dropped by the IPL team he was captain of, ridiculed for the team management’s persistence in him, Warner stood tall when it mattered most and repaid the faith.
In typical fashion, Warner was all business, setting the tone by smothering and bludgeoning the New Zealand bowlers into quick submission in a tall chase. Warner’s assured presence allowed the ever-evolving Mitchell Marsh, the man of the moment (77 not out from 50 balls; 6x4, 4x6) to carry Australia to victory on his shoulders.
When the moment came, Warner hugged Smith in the balcony before rushing out to embrace a wide-eyed Marsh, who had moments before sprinted and fallen to his knees in frenzied celebration, disbelief on his face and euphoric smile on his lips.
Coach Justin Langer, with a gun pointed at him for long now, will feel vindicated for sticking to his guns, trusting in his lynchpins and resolutely believing that form is temporary.
“There was enormous talent in this team. There were a few missing pieces coming into this tournament and Mitch Marsh took one of those pieces,” said Langer.
Langer called spinner Adam Zampa, a key player in this title win, a “little hippie,” showing how Australia’s approach was based not so much on data analytics and matchups but on old-fashioned methodology and strong personalities who believed skills across formats can never be discounted.
“If you keep putting people’s backs against the wall enough, they will fight. I can’t believe people wrote off David Warner. Mitch Marsh was superb,” said captain Aaron Finch.
New Zealand got a lifeline in the 13th over, with Boult castling Warner, but it was false hope. By the time Marsh brought up his half-century off 31 balls with a six over long on off Ish Sodhi in the 14th over, which yielded 16, the result was a foregone conclusion.
A crucial cog in the Kiwi wheel, Sodhi’s leg-breaks (3-0-40-0) came apart when it mattered most, allowing the Aussies to run away with the game. It was that sort of a day for New Zealand on the field, as catches and ideas both fell short.
They looked predictable with their lengths, jaded with the bowling changes, out of options and a bowling team short on the sort of innovation which wins T20 games. The team which has forever punched above its weight, looked pedestrian with the ball, for once.
Of course, the toss too had its final say in Dubai. In a tournament sadly dominated by the flip of the coin, there was to be no exemption in the final, contrary to Finch’s expectations on game eve, as 12 of 13 matches in Dubai ended with wins for the chasing side.
Australia dominated so thoroughly with the bat that it’s easy to forget that earlier on, they had a bad day with the ball in the second half of New Zealand’s innings as Kane Williamson (85 off 48 balls; 10x4, 3x6) stood tall once again.
Proving that touch, precision, placement and pristine anticipation does the job as well as beefy power hitting, Williamson got to his 50 off 32 balls and helped New Zealand pile up 115 of the last 10 overs on the slow, dry pitch.
Williamson’s fascinating and, at times, uncharacteristic onslaught took New Zealand to an above-par 172/4. Australia, however, owned the Powerplay, conceding only 32. There was a 32-ball middle period in which New Zealand could not score a boundary, thanks in part to Hazlewood (4-0-16-3, and an extraordinary 3-0-11-1 in the Powerplay).
This lull came back to haunt New Zealand.
“You never really know if you have it covered,” said Williamson. “They didn’t give us an inch.”
