His style of batsmanship will excite the purist. He doesn’t look to buccaneer the ball in this format and his method of attack has a touch of romance to it
Mitchell Marsh en route his unbeaten 77 on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
Australia clinched the T20 World Cup title without too much panic. After being asked to bat first, the Black Caps were playing against statistics, but skipper Kane Williamson (85) showcased what class players can do on a big stage.
ADVERTISEMENT
His style of batsmanship will excite the purist. He doesn’t look to buccaneer the ball in this format and his method of attack has a touch of romance to it.
His 48-ball knock gave the Kiwis a total (172-4) they would have thought had some meat.
Aussie spinner Adam Zappa (1-26) and pacer Josh Hazlewood (3-16) have been excellent throughout the tournament and this performance on a pitch that had nothing to offer was indicative of their value to the team.
Australia’s batting depends a lot on the way David Warner shapes up in the Powerplay. His form can chart the course of a spirited reply. For a player who has not had everything going his way in the last few months, Warner seemed to put everything behind him to play an innings that put Australia on course for a successful run chase.
For me, the Mitchell Marsh show was the highlight of the final. Big game, big moment, an opportunity to turn into a match-winner and a national hero, Marsh (77 not out off 50 balls) was a man on a mission. His calm, aggressive demeanor was what made the run chase seem calculated. It was a game-changing innings for him personally and also Australian cricket.
New Zealand pacer Trent Boult (2-18) with his reliability brought some sanity in an attack that took some belting.
Australia won this one in a canter as the scores might suggest, but for all those who watched this game, it took some defining performances from Aaron Finch & Co to win the game. Scorebooks don’t often reveal the joys and pains of the victor and the vanquished.
158
No. of runs scored by Mitch Marsh in last three T20I innings
The writer is a former Mumbai captain and currently CEO of Baroda Cricket Association
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
