Sometimes Goliath wins, even if this is seldom the most popular outcome. But most of those at the MCG, which was at its most majestic, a waspish conglomeration of yellow interspersed by a bit of black here and there, were very happy. Australia were winning; the old order was intact and that was reassuring.
They prevailed with super efficiency, without doubt the best side on the day and the best in the tournament.
Beyond Australia, New Zealand had become everyone’s second favourite team. However, here on the crowded side of Tasman, they suddenly seemed a long, long way from home. The advantage of playing in their own country, which the Kiwis had enjoyed for eight matches now seemed something of a hindrance.
This was certainly not Napier. In fact it would be possible to fit the entire population of Napier into the MCG and more than a third of the seats would still be empty. The New Zealanders, however determined they were to stay calm and clear-headed, had not acclimatised to a harsher environment. Maybe they had not completely recovered from that epic, draining semi-final against South Africa.
Brendon McCullum looked like David against Mitchell – Goliath – Starc. Ten inches separated their eyelines and in McCullum’s case those eyes could not detect the ball propelled by Starc in that decisive opening over. The first delivery McCullum received swung a little at around 150km/h and just missed the off stump; the second one passed the leg stump; the third thudded into the timbers and those bails lit up. Each time McCullum had swished at thin air.
And he would be castigated for that. Yet this is how McCullum has batted throughout the entire tournament and he has been praised to the skies. But the old sling-shot was not working so well in Melbourne and Starc delivered with the ruthlessness of an assassin. Discretion will never be McCullum’s middle name, which is why we love him.
For a while, Grant Elliott – another David figure – suggested that he might become the seventh man to score a century in the World Cup final; his name might have seemed a little incongruous alongside the names of Lloyd, Richards, De Silva, Ponting, Gilchrist and Jayawardene.
Even so he was the only New Zealander capable of taking the attack to a bowling unit that has improved and been refined as the tournament progressed. And they did not look too bad at the start of the competition.
Australia did lose one game back in Auckland by one wicket against the New Zealanders. Maybe even that outcome had done the Kiwis very few favours. Michael Clarke has described how this was “the kick up the backside” that his side required.
The New Zealanders had alerted them. Back in 1983, India scored 183 at Lord’s in the final against the West Indies and everyone was stunned when they won by 43 runs. The West Indies had underestimated them. The Australians were never going to fall into that trap – especially after their experiences in Auckland.
However the “David” tag does not sit perfectly with the New Zealanders as England may discover before too long in the forthcoming Test series. The Kiwis will provide a substantial threat.
Most obviously Trent Boult demonstrated that he could swing the white ball at pace whichever side of the Tasman he was playing. In this tournament no Englishman was anywhere near him. Boult might also be handy with a red ball in May. Tim Southee has not been too shabby either, nor has the novice, Matt Henry. Yet it was the Australian bowling combination that dictated how this match would unfold. They ruined it for the neutrals, not that there were many of those at the MCG. Starc was stunning from the very first ball. He might have been the man of the match – if only for deflating the Kiwi bubble by sending McCullum on his way – but no one could complain when it was James Faulkner. Starc was deservedly the man of the tournament.
Mitchell Johnson, almost a veteran, has displayed many virtues in this tournament, including humility. He has been out-bowled by Starc and denied the new ball. But this bothered him not a jot. He improved with every game, bowling progressively quicker and straighter.
He will be alongside Starc in England in July for the Ashes series and there are plenty of contenders to join them: from this squad Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins; from recent Test teams Ryan Harris and James Pattinson. Australia, it seems, suddenly have Goliaths everywhere.
