Aussies lift maiden T20 World Cup trophy

Australia cricket team have won the T20 World Cup beating New Zealand by eight wickets at Dubai International cricket stadium on Sunday. 

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson played a blistering 85-run innings of just 48 balls to help his side post 172-4 against Australia. Later Australia chased down their target with seven balls to spare where Mitchel Marsh played an unbeaten innings of 77 runs to take Australia to the target. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, who dropped Williamson on 18, was the pick of the bowlers conceding just 16 runs from four overs and picking three wickets including the Kiwis’ skipper. Australian captain Aaron Finch won the toss and invited New Zealand to bat in their all important final of the T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Australia have deployed the same eleven that beat Pakistan in the semi-final while New Zeland replaced injured Devon Conway with Tim Seifert. 

Warner 'spectacle' puts Australia on top of the world

David Warner came into the Twenty20 World Cup after being dropped from his IPL side but finished with 289 runs and a stand out star in Australia's maiden title victory. Warner smashed 53 and put on a key stand of 92 with Mitchell Marsh, who hit an unbeaten 72, as Australia thrashed New Zealand by eight wickets in the final on Sunday in Dubai. The swashbuckling opener had scores of 89 not out (in the final group game against West Indies), 49 (in the semi-final versus Pakistan) and his third half-century in the title clash to be named man of the series. ‘Always pumped, wanted to put on a spectacle,’ Warner said after his team's first T20 World Cup title win that adds to their five ODI World Cup trophies. ‘There were some nerves around as always in a final but great to see the guys deliver.’

The left-handed Warner, who was dropped from his Indian Premier League team Sunrisers Hyderabad after two bad games in September, hit form with a match-winning 65 against Sri Lanka in a Super 12 match. There was no looking back for the 35-year-old batsman who averaged 48.16 with a strike-rate of 146.70 in seven matches. ‘Always felt really well. Didn't get much time in the middle in the two practice matches obviously,’ Warner said of his preparation into the World Cup. ‘But for me it was about going back to basics. Going to hard, synthetic wickets and try to hit some balls.’

Finch predicted Warner would be player of tournament before it started

Australia captain Aaron Finch informed that he had claimed David Warner would finish as the player of the tournament in the T20 World Cup. Finch also assured Australia head coach Justin Langer not to worry over Warner’s form that was a worry ahead of the world event. Australia opener Warner had come to the tournament with questions hanging over his form after his Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad had benched him due to below-par performance. Left-handed batsman Warner however, has silenced the critics, finishing as the player of the tournament, scoring 289 runs in seven innings, the second highest in the tournament, with an average of 48.16. The effort also made Finch’s prediction come true. “You didn't expect that? I certainly did. Without a word of a lie, I promise you, I called Langer a few months ago and said, 'Don't worry about Davey. He will be man of the tournament'," said Finch to the media following Australia’s maiden T20 World Cup title win Sunday.

Man of the final Marsh thanks selectors for career revival

Australia batsman Mitchell Marsh credited and thanked the selectors for giving him the opportunity to revive his career in limited-over cricket. Marsh with an emphatic uneaten 77 off 50 deliveries steered Australia to their maiden T20 World Cup title Sunday, defeating New Zealand by eight wickets at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Australian selectors got Marsh back to the top-order during the tour of the West Indies in July. The right-handed batsman proved his worth in gold, scoring 185 runs in five innings in the T20 World Cup 2021 and playing the crucial innings in the grand finale. “The coaching staff came up to me in the West Indies about six months ago and said I was going to bat three for this tournament and series – and I absolutely jumped at the idea of that. I’d done a little bit for the [Perth] Scorchers back home, but I’ve obviously got all the staff and everyone involved In the Australian set-up [to thank] for backing me and getting me up the top there,” said an elated Marsh Sunday. “I just love playing my role for this team. I feel like a lot of people say this, but I don’t really have words right now. What an amazing six weeks with this group of men – I absolutely love them to death and we’re world champions,” he added.

Marsh went to the middle Sunday in over number three after captain Aaron Finch perished early. Marsh marked his arrival to the crease in grand fashion, striking a six in the very first ball off New Zealand right-arm pacer Adam Milne. Marsh laced the innings with six boundaries and four over boundaries and also hit the winning runs to take Australia to championship winning 173 runs with seven balls to spare. “I’ll be honest with you, there wasn’t a whole lot of thinking that goes into that. I just wanted to get out there and have a presence. Marcus Stoinis always talks to me about having a presence and getting in the contest. That allows me to go out there and play my game – I can’t believe it and it’s unbelievable,” said the all-rounder.