New Zealand vs Australia - 4 key battles | ICC T20 World Cup final 2021
New Zealand will take on Australia in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in an all-Oceania game that few expected. New Zealand and Australia respectively beat favourites England and Pakistan in more than convincing fashion, and now stand to make history on Sunday.
Neither team has won this prestigious tournament before, Australia coming closest to winning in the third edition when they lost to England in the final. If Australia win this game, they will go to the next T20 World Cup in their own backyard next year as the defending champions.
#Australia may have the upper hand head to head, however #NewZealand were emphatic winners in their last T20I series 🤔
How the teams and key players match up ahead of the #T20WorldCup final 👇
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If New Zealand win, they will hold the ICC title in two different formats simultaneously, cementing them as arguably the best team across formats at the moment. But before either team gets there, they will need to see off each other.
On that note, here's a look at four key matchups that could be key in the outcome of this blockbuster clash.
#1 David Warner (Australia) vs Trent Boult (New Zealand)
Australia and New Zealand, being neighbours and everything, have seen a lot of each other. And so have these two - Australia's lead opener David Warner and New Zealand's lead pacer Trent Boult.
While Boult has managed to pick up Warner only once before in a T20I game), he has managed to keep the left-hander very, very quiet. Australia's chief wrecker in charge has scored only 37 runs in 38 balls against Boult across T20Is and IPL games.
On the contrary, Warner absolutely enjoys batting against Tim Southee - 84 runs scored in 44 balls. Adam Milne is not so lucky either, having conceded 30 runs in 13 balls against Warner.
The ever-reliable Trent Boult has delivered again for New Zealand ⚡️
How will he fare in the #T20WorldCup final? 🤔 https://t.co/JZfsVlmEFO
Boult might not have delivered his best in the semi-final. But as the only one among the New Zealand seamers against whom Warner has struggled before, he will look to keep the opener quiet again. However, considering Warner's scintillating form, that could be a tall task.
#2 Martin Guptill (New Zealand) vs Mitchell Starc (Australia)
This is another battle at the top of the innings. New Zealand's aggressive opener Martin Guptill will take on Australia's premium pacer Mitchell Starc to see who can give their side the advantage at the start of the innings.
Guptill scored only four runs in the semi-final, but the intent was clear. His job is to only score runs quickly, and he has been doing that at the top consistently for New Zealand for several years now. And if there is one way to throw Australia off their rhythm, it is to hit them hard and hit them early.
Most Powerplay runs in 2021 T20WC (Innings)
135 - Jos Buttler (6)
128 - George Munsey (8)
121 - David Warner (6)
116 - Rohit Sharma (5)
111 - Martin Guptill (6)
#T20WorldCup
Starc has slowly come into his own in the tournament, and knows how to play on the big stage. His experience should come in handy, as will his swing in the early overs.
His death bowling might not be up to the mark as was seen against Pakistan. But if Starc can get rid of Guptill, it would go a long way in denting New Zealand's batting.