Cometh the final, cometh Australia.
They have a way about finals, Australia, don’t they? Sample this: in all the 11 World Cups played since 1975, Australia have failed to reach the finals in only four. Among the finals they have reached, they have only lost twice, once in 1975 and then in 1996.
In hindsight, it all seems pretty clear. There is no other team which knows how to approach finals better. No questions of choking ever cloud their mind. No one dares to ask them how they’re handling the pressure. These questions are reserved for lesser mortals; if South Africa are the perennial chokers in world cricket, Australia are the perennial champions.
New Zealand may have hoped otherwise. They had defeated them back in the group stage, they reckoned, so obviously they had a chance, right? Wishful thinking. Australia lost in the group stage in 1999 against Pakistan but came back roaring in the final. They put in a similar performance tonight, banishing the group stage encounter as a one-off and surely inflicting one or two scars on the NZ psyche.
What went wrong for NZ? What did they do so differently that it turned out so badly for them?
1) Australia found the groove in their batting
When Australia met New Zealand on February 28 in Auckland, their batting looked unsettled. The conundrum over how to fit Clarke in was affecting the team. Watson was their No. 3 and he looked like a walking wicket. But in the days to come, Australia perfected their batting line-up, taking the brave call to drop Bailey, bringing Smith in at No. 3 and dropping Watson down the order. This paid off brilliantly, with the Australian batting looking very stable at the top with some explosive hitters all coming in at the back end.
2) McCullum fell to the Law of Averages
In almost every key game for New Zealand in this World Cup, Brendan McCullum would swagger to the crease and play an innings of such blinding ferocity that his opponents would be completely defeated and have to clutch at straws. In the game against Australia, his brutal 59 off 26 balls was not just extraordinary; it was vital, considering how every other batsmen below him was scuttled out.
And yet with the kind of high-risk approach he took, the Law of Averages was bound to catch up with him once and crushingly, it proved to be in the final. Starc, the standout performer of this tournament, would have none of McCullum, delivering a picture-perfect yorker which took out McCullum’s offstump and hammered the first nail into the coffin.
3) The Aussies subdued Boult
In the group stage encounter, both the left arm seamers of their respective teams had a field day, Boult picking up 5/27 and Starc going one better with 6/28. This time, it was only Starc who partied with the cherry, bowling with intensity and hostility, picking up the key wickets of McCullum and Ronchi with an economy rate of just 2.5. Boult just didn’t have enough runs on the board behind him; he got a sniff with the wicket of Finch in the first over, but by and large, Australia played him out intelligently and never allowed him to smell blood.
4) The return of the other Mitch
Mitchell Johnson’s bowling figures in the group stage game read: 6 overs, 0 maidens, 68 runs, 0 wickets. In a low-scoring match where a total of only 303 runs were scored, Johnson’s inept bowling in that match was largely considered the biggest reason for Australia’s defeat.
Cut to the final. After an impressive performance in the semi-final, Johnson redeemed himself by rediscovering his form and scuttling out the Kiwi batsmen. He picked up 3 wickets for 30 runs to complete a satisfying redemption story.
5) Australia never took their foot off the pedal
From 78/1 in the group stage encounter, New Zealand had slowed down, collapsing to 146/9 and almost letting Australia walk away with an improbable win. Australia, though, were made of sterner stuff and they ensured New Zealand were never allowed to breathe easily in the final. New Zealand were starting to look dangerous at 150/3 with both Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot in the middle, but Australia ensured no major damage was done, getting both of them out through some great fielding. Even the Kiwi tail was shot out quietly and not allowed to wag.
While batting, Australia were quick to snuff out any flames New Zealand may have lit after the early wicket of Finch. Smith and Warner batted decisively, giving the Kiwis no leeway till it was clearly too late. This Australian team just doesn’t tolerate a change in the script, does it?
But New Zealand should be a proud team. They have brought pride to their country and won the hearts of many a nation. Thanks to McCullum’s aggressive captaincy, watching ODIs became an exciting proposition from the cumbersome task it had become. Australia were the better team tonight and deserved finalists, but the Kiwis have every reason to walk out, holding their heads high.
They have a way about finals, Australia, don’t they? Sample this: in all the 11 World Cups played since 1975, Australia have failed to reach the finals in only four. Among the finals they have reached, they have only lost twice, once in 1975 and then in 1996.
In hindsight, it all seems pretty clear. There is no other team which knows how to approach finals better. No questions of choking ever cloud their mind. No one dares to ask them how they’re handling the pressure. These questions are reserved for lesser mortals; if South Africa are the perennial chokers in world cricket, Australia are the perennial champions.
New Zealand may have hoped otherwise. They had defeated them back in the group stage, they reckoned, so obviously they had a chance, right? Wishful thinking. Australia lost in the group stage in 1999 against Pakistan but came back roaring in the final. They put in a similar performance tonight, banishing the group stage encounter as a one-off and surely inflicting one or two scars on the NZ psyche.
What went wrong for NZ? What did they do so differently that it turned out so badly for them?
1) Australia found the groove in their batting
When Australia met New Zealand on February 28 in Auckland, their batting looked unsettled. The conundrum over how to fit Clarke in was affecting the team. Watson was their No. 3 and he looked like a walking wicket. But in the days to come, Australia perfected their batting line-up, taking the brave call to drop Bailey, bringing Smith in at No. 3 and dropping Watson down the order. This paid off brilliantly, with the Australian batting looking very stable at the top with some explosive hitters all coming in at the back end.
2) McCullum fell to the Law of Averages
In almost every key game for New Zealand in this World Cup, Brendan McCullum would swagger to the crease and play an innings of such blinding ferocity that his opponents would be completely defeated and have to clutch at straws. In the game against Australia, his brutal 59 off 26 balls was not just extraordinary; it was vital, considering how every other batsmen below him was scuttled out.
And yet with the kind of high-risk approach he took, the Law of Averages was bound to catch up with him once and crushingly, it proved to be in the final. Starc, the standout performer of this tournament, would have none of McCullum, delivering a picture-perfect yorker which took out McCullum’s offstump and hammered the first nail into the coffin.
3) The Aussies subdued Boult
In the group stage encounter, both the left arm seamers of their respective teams had a field day, Boult picking up 5/27 and Starc going one better with 6/28. This time, it was only Starc who partied with the cherry, bowling with intensity and hostility, picking up the key wickets of McCullum and Ronchi with an economy rate of just 2.5. Boult just didn’t have enough runs on the board behind him; he got a sniff with the wicket of Finch in the first over, but by and large, Australia played him out intelligently and never allowed him to smell blood.
4) The return of the other Mitch
Mitchell Johnson’s bowling figures in the group stage game read: 6 overs, 0 maidens, 68 runs, 0 wickets. In a low-scoring match where a total of only 303 runs were scored, Johnson’s inept bowling in that match was largely considered the biggest reason for Australia’s defeat.
Cut to the final. After an impressive performance in the semi-final, Johnson redeemed himself by rediscovering his form and scuttling out the Kiwi batsmen. He picked up 3 wickets for 30 runs to complete a satisfying redemption story.
5) Australia never took their foot off the pedal
From 78/1 in the group stage encounter, New Zealand had slowed down, collapsing to 146/9 and almost letting Australia walk away with an improbable win. Australia, though, were made of sterner stuff and they ensured New Zealand were never allowed to breathe easily in the final. New Zealand were starting to look dangerous at 150/3 with both Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot in the middle, but Australia ensured no major damage was done, getting both of them out through some great fielding. Even the Kiwi tail was shot out quietly and not allowed to wag.
While batting, Australia were quick to snuff out any flames New Zealand may have lit after the early wicket of Finch. Smith and Warner batted decisively, giving the Kiwis no leeway till it was clearly too late. This Australian team just doesn’t tolerate a change in the script, does it?
But New Zealand should be a proud team. They have brought pride to their country and won the hearts of many a nation. Thanks to McCullum’s aggressive captaincy, watching ODIs became an exciting proposition from the cumbersome task it had become. Australia were the better team tonight and deserved finalists, but the Kiwis have every reason to walk out, holding their heads high.
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