The judgement day

DUBAI, November 13

A trans-Tasman scrap will determine 20-overs cricket’s new world champions tomorrow and there is little to choose between Australia and New Zealand after their near-identical progress to the summit clash in Dubai.

Both made the semifinals of the T20 World Cup as the second team from their respective groups and then came into their own to knock out the tournament’s two most dominating teams.

The last four deliveries of Australia’s five-wicket victory against Pakistan on Thursday contained more drama than the tournament’s entire Super 12 stage.

Matthew Wade was first dropped in the deep before he smacked three consecutive sixes to successfully complete Australia’s nervy chase against the tournament’s only hitherto unbeaten team.

Jimmy Neesham and Daryl Mitchell had pulled off something similar when New Zealand humbled Group 1 leaders England in the first semifinal in Abu Dhabi.

Sunday’s clash will be a rematch of the 2015 final of the 50-overs World Cup and Australia, the most successful ODI team, will hope to win the only major limited-overs global trophy that has eluded them so far.

“We’ve got such a rich history and it would be nice to add this piece to the puzzle, that’s for sure,” Australia coach Justin Langer said. The task would not be easy against a New Zealand side recognised as the best cross-format team in international cricket. “I think that the way New Zealand cricket have gone about their business for the last few years has been outstanding,” said Langer.

For reigning world Test champions New Zealand, the incentive will be to triumph in another format, especially after their heartbreaking loss to England on now-scrapped boundary countback in the tied 2019 50-over World Cup final. Coach Gary Stead said they would have to be on their toes. “They’ve got a bunch of guys who are real match-winners,” he said. “We’re going to have to make sure our planning and scouting is right on point.”

New Hall of Famers

Dubai: Sri Lankan great Mahela Jayawardene, former South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock and ex-England batter Janette Brittin will be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame before the final gets underway here tomorrow. The three cricketers will be formally inducted by a fellow ICC Hall of Famer, Sir Clive Lloyd, before the match. — Reuters

Form guide
Australia: WWWLW
New Zealand: WWWWW
*Recent last 5 completed matches

3 finals This is New Zealand’s third straight ICC event final.
40 Years The last time New Zealand beat Australia in a knockout game of a tournament was back in 1981.
16 wickets Kiwis’ Ish Sodhi has picked up the most wickets,16, in the T20 games against Australia.
435 Runs New Zealand opener Martin Guptill has an expecptional scoring record against Aussies (435) in the T20I’s.

It’s one that’s eluded us in the past and the fact that we are here in the final gives us the best opportunity to rectify that. I think it will be a great game against New Zealand. They are a great side and have been in all the finals over the last six years. Everyone had written us off but we had a lot of confidence within. —Aaron Finch, Aus skipper