"They are on a roll" - Sunil Gavaskar picks his favorite between Australia and New Zealand for T20 World Cup 2021 final
Sunil Gavaskar believes Australia's brilliant record in knockout matches makes them favorites ahead of New Zealand going into the T20 World Cup 2021 final.
Australia and New Zealand have clashed 18 times in ICC tournaments, with the former winning 12. The Aussies have also won 20 of their 31 ICC knockout matches, including five Cricket World Cup and two Champions Trophy finals.
Sunil Gavaskar told Sports Today on the eve of the summit clash:
"It definitely does (whether the superior record gives a psychological advantage). When you have won more often than you have lost, you just enter the field feeling that come what may, you will be able to turn it around. The Australians, I think they are on a roll, they have got the momentum. In the knockouts, it's not against New Zealand but against most teams that they have an unbelievable record. They will fancy their chances of claiming this ICC T20 cup for the first time."
Sunil Gavaskar added that after wicketkeeper Devon Conway's injury, the odds are heavily in favor of Australia. The former captain said:
"If Devon Conway was fit, maybe I would have said 50-50. But with Devon Conway not there, a new person coming in who hasn't played after the first match, Tim Seifert, it's not going to be easy for New Zealand. And like I said, Australia's record in knockouts is awesome."
Both Australia and New Zealand have trudged similar paths in their road to the final. Both came second in their respective groups by winning four out of five games and defeated stronger (on paper) opponents in the two semi-finals by identical margins: five wickets and an over to spare.
Now for the main event 💥
New Zealand and Australia are in the final… and they’re ready 💪
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There's little to separate the trans-Tasman neighbors and the battle might boil down to holding the nerves better than the opponents in the crunch moments.
"Australians know that if David Warner gets going he's going to take the game away" - Sunil Gavaskar
Not many give neither Australia nor New Zealand a chance to reach this far in the T20 World Cup. For the Aussies, it has been David Warner's form leading the charge, with the opener collecting 236 runs from six innings at 47.20.
Sunil Gavaskar said the pressure of a big final won't affect Warner's aggressive approach. He believes Australia will give a free hand to the senior batter, allowing him to tackle the match in the way "he knows best." Gavaskar argued:
"That's the way he knows to play. He isn't much about defending the ball in any form of the game. Even in Test cricket, he looks to take the attack to the opposition and more often than not he has succeeded. That's why he has been such a wonderful player for Australia in all three formats of the game. I don't think he's going to change his approach. He might get out and the Australians will allow him that. They know that if he gets going he's going to take the game away. So they'll allow him to play the game he knows best and that is to go after the bowling straightaway."
One more sleep ⏳
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The all-important encounter will begin at 7:30 PM IST in Dubai.