"Turning point was when I got out" - Aaron Finch on Australia's win over New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2021 final
Aaron Finch has said that his wicket was the turning point for Australia during their win over New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup final. Finch believes that was the case as it led to a brilliant partnership between Mitchell Marsh and David Warner.
Both Marsh and Warner scored half-centuries as Australia beat New Zealand by eight wickets to win their maiden men's T20 World Cup title.
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Speaking at the post-match press conference, Finch said:
"The turning point was when I got out. For Mitch Marsh to come out and play the way he did, he was outstanding. That partnership with Davey was amazing. The way that they put the pressure back on the opposition was exactly what was needed at the time."
Finch got out for five in the third over before Marsh and Warner put on a 92-run stand.
While Mitchell Marsh went on to win the player of the match award for his outstanding 77*, David Warner was named the player of the tournament. Warner finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 289 runs and three fifties.
All hail our new overlord - Mitch Marsh!
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Speaking about Marsh's move to No.3, Finch said:
"Mitch Marsh’s move to No.3 was a really important one in the West Indies. We felt as though he’s someone who can play (pace). He obviously plays fast bowling very well, growing up at the WACA. He’s very, very dominant off the back foot."
He said that they backed Marsh at the position for a long time and they reaped the benefits of giving him confidence and support.
"He’s someone who loves a contest, loves a challenge and we just backed him from the start. We committed to him playing at no.3 for a long time and he knew that and that’s all you need sometimes. You need a little bit of backing, you need some confidence from everybody else," Finch said.
T20 World Cup 2021: Aaron Finch on Australia and England players flying back on the same flight
Australia and England players are flying Down Under on the same flight ahead of the Ashes. While Australia will be overjoyed with their triumphant campaign, the mood is expected to be slightly more somber for England, who made a semi-final exit.
Asked about how the mood would be on the flight, Finch shrugged off the question. He said he was going to fly back to his family in Melbourne on a separate flight and did not know what it would be like.
"Yeah, I’m not on that flight so I don’t know how its going to go. I’m flying back to Melbourne, which is nice. There’s no quarantine so I’m going to spend time with my family which is all good."
Finch was also asked if Australia were going to be more pumped for the Ashes with their World Cup win. He replied that the players had been buoyed by the support from their countrymen, despite them not being the most consistent team.
"I think the fact that we had so much support from back home, even through some times when we weren’t playing our best cricket, there were some inconsistent performances. That shows how committed we are to playing cricket for Australia and how much we love it."
Australia's next international commitment will be the Ashes, set to begin on December 8.