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Australia Deserved To Be Champions
It was a one-sided final at the MCG.
A Starc reality dawned on Brendon McCullum very early in the innings – that Australia were coming hard at New Zealand and the four time champions had all the ammunition to make it five.
The perfectly pitched late in-swinging yorker to uproot the stumps of the New Zealand skipper triggered a huge roar from the majority of the 93,000 spectators at MCG. Mitchell Starc had given the perfect start for the Aussies.
The mercurial opener went for a duck and soon the tournament top scorer Martin Guptill too was cleaned up by a spinner – yes ‘spinner’ – Glenn Maxwell. The hosts were in control when Kane Williamson followed the openers to the pavilion, with the Kiwis reeling at 39 for 3.
The 2015 edition of the World cup had seen some phenomenal run-scoring at blistering paces. The batsman-dominated tournament’s final however was now in the grasp of the bowlers and there needed to be a composed partnership to revive the innings. I felt Ross Taylor brought all his Test experience to the fore in the 111¬-run partnership with the semi-final hero Grant Elliot, who was striking at a faster pace. The duo complimented each other and took minimum risk in bringing some parity to the finals.
Just as I felt the revival was bringing NZ back into the game, the first of the batting Powerplay overs saw the specialist in these overs, Man of the Final, James Faulkner, strike twice. Soon, 150-3 became 151-6. Taylor was followed by Corey Anderson for a duck and Luke Ronchi had no clue about a Starc delivery and was caught brilliantly in the slip by Michael Clarke.
Unlike the Australian line-up with a batting depth up to No. 9, the Kiwis had not much resistance in the lower order and soon folded up for 183. Elliot top scored with 83 and Mitchell Johnson and Faulkner got three wickets a piece.
New Zealand had won all their earlier eight matches coming into the final with some lethal bowling in the first few overs with their twin pacemen Tim Southee and Trent Boult striking telling blows to flatten their opposition.
Defending a not-so-competitive total, the Kiwis needed early wickets and Boult provided the expected early action catching Aaron Finch off his own bowling. Unfazed by the early exit of his partner, opener David Warner played a characteristic 46 ball 45 before holing out to deep square leg.
Captain Clarke, playing his last one day international inning, joined the ever reliable Steve Smith and they both added 112 runs to ensure the Kiwis hopes of a maiden title were totally quashed. With 9 runs away from victory, Clarke chopped one on to his stumps after making a run-a-ball 74 and left the field to an ovation not just from the spectators but also the NZ team on the field.
The curtains were down on the showpiece event of one day cricket amidst colorful celebrations.
Comprehensively defeating the two unbeaten teams in the tournament, within three days and regaining the most coveted ICC trophy in style, Australia once again stamped their authority on world cricket and have been deservingly crowned champion.
