New Zealand vs Australia, a Trans-Tasman final after six years
New Zealand and Australia will be playing the World Cup 2015 final at the MCG on Sunday. (Source: AP)
Last time Australia and New Zealand played each other in an ICC tournament final was during the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa. (Full Coverage| Points table| Fixtures)
In that match, New Zealand struggled while batting first and posted 200-9 in their 50 overs. With their then captain Daniel Vettori pulling out with a hamstring injury, his deputy Brendon McCullum was forced to step up as skipper. McCullum did not trouble the scorers as he got out for a duck in the fourth over.
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The top-scorer for New Zealand was Martin Guptill (40), with other major contributors being Neil Broom (37) and James Franklin (33). For Australia the main wicket-takers were Nathan Hauritz (3-37) and Brett Lee (2-45). Australia’s chase was fashioned by Shane Watson’s unbeaten 105 off 129 balls. Australia had slipped to 6-2 in the third over after losing wicket-keeper Tim Paine and skipper Ricky Ponting. But thereafter, Watson added 128 runs for the third wicket with Cameron White (62). In the end Australia won by six wickets, chasing down the target in 45.2 overs. McCullum dropped White’s catch at a crucial moment in the chase and that titled the scales in Australia’s favour.
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The survivors from that clash still in action for BlackCaps are Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Kyle Mills, while Shane Bond is now New Zealand’s bowling coach. For Australia Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson are the only surviving members from that playing XI. Peter Siddle, a regular then, is now considered a Test specialist. That was the last time Australia played New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, with their 2013 clash being washed out. New Zealand have lost all the four completed games against Australia in Champions Trophy.
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In World Cups too, Australia hold an edge having won six of the nine clashes between the sides. The three times New Zealand have won against Australia have come in the 1992 World Cup, 1999 World Cup and the league encounter in this tournament. The two sides have never played each other in World Twenty20.
Source:: Indian Express
