"You cannot rule him out" - Aakash Chopra on David Warner showing his class in Australia's T20 World Cup 2021 triumph
Aakash Chopra has pointed out that David Warner proved all the naysayers wrong with his match-defining contributions in crunch matches for Australia at the T20 World Cup 2021.
Warner smashed 53 runs off 38 deliveries in the final encounter against New Zealand to help the Kangaroos win their maiden T20 World Cup title. The knock came on the back of another enterprising 49-run effort from the opener in the semi-final win against Pakistan.
Aakash Chopra reflected on Australia's run chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel. While showering praise on Warner, the former India opener pointed out:
"Cometh the hour, cometh the man. David Warner's story is that you cannot rule him out. He is class, he is not just form. He gave the knockout punch in both knockout matches. There were Stoinis and Matthew Wade apart from him in the last match and here there was Mitchell Marsh."
Aakash Chopra added that Aaron Finch, who fell prey to a bouncer, did not cover himself with glory in the tournament. He elaborated:
"Aaron Finch was dismissed with a bouncer, they were trying to hit him on the pads with pitched up deliveries as well. Captain didn't do anything really in this tournament, very very mediocre tournament as per his standards."
"The Turning point of the Final match was when I got out." - Aaron Finch (In press)
Finch scored 135 runs in the tournament at a mediocre average of 19.28. He failed to hit a half-century and had an underwhelming strike rate of 116.37.
Aakash Chopra on Mitchell Marsh's defining role in Australia's chase
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Mitchell Marsh didn't let the Black Caps gain the ascendancy after Finch's dismissal. He explained:
"The heartening thing was that Finch got out and Adam Milne came to bowl the next over, Mitchell Marsh plays his first ball and hits a six and then fours and sixes. They scored 16-17 runs in one over."
The reputed commentator added that the batting all-rounder did something similar when Warner was dismissed. Aakash Chopra observed:
"Mitchell Marsh was incredible. He was the aggressor, to begin with. When Warner got out, your thinking could have been that something might happen, but Mitchell Marsh again hit in the next over. He went after Ish Sodhi. They were two defining moments because the ability to counterattack in knockout matches came to the fore."
Chuffed for Mitchell Marsh.
Remember this from the 2019 Ashes when @beastieboy07 asked him about how he's viewed back in Australia: "Yeah, most of Australia hate me." Probably not anymore, Mitch #T20WorldCup https://t.co/REJJlI7PUL
Marsh scored an unbeaten 77 off 50 deliveries to help Australia cross the finish line. He was deservedly chosen as the Player of the Match for his match-defining contribution.