New Zealand on Sunday lost to Australia by eight wickets in the showpiece but Kane Williamson's men will hardly have any time to regroup as it faces India in the opening T20I in Jaipur on Wednesday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson admitted that there was very little that his side could have done against an Australian team that didn't give an inch in the T20 World Cup final.
A clinical unbeaten knock from Mitchell Marsh (77 not out off 50 balls) along with a crucial half-century by David Warner (53 off 38 balls) and a superlative spell by Josh Hazlewood (3/16) powered Australia to win their first Men's T20 World Cup trophy, defeating New Zealand by eight wickets in the final at the Dubai International Stadium here on Sunday. Facing a target of 173, the biggest chase in a Men's T20 World Cup final, Australia reached home with seven balls to spare.
Marsh, who took 50 balls for his knock, also ensured that Justin Langer got some breathing space ahead of the big Ashes after a tumultuous year at the helm. And for all the sceptics, who believe T20 cricket only needs short-format specialists, Australia won their first title with five Test specialists -- three pacers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood -- along with Warner and Steve Smith in the side. After five ODI World Cup titles, Australia finally exorcised the ghosts and in the most professional manner under a cool but under-rated skipper Aaron Finch.
Chasing 173, Australia got off to a bad start as the side lost its skipper Aaron Finch (5) in the third over of the innings as he was sent back to the pavilion by Trent Boult. Mitchell Marsh joined David Warner in the middle and the duo took the team's score to 43/1 after the end of the powerplay.
Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene had his say on who will win the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. He said that his mind is with Australia but his heart thinks New Zealand will win the final. Both Australia and New Zealand are aiming to clinch their first-ever Men's T20 World Cup trophy at the Dubai International Stadium.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has said that the ICC T20 World Cup schedule, where his team played four games in seven days, had been "somewhat hectic", but added that the two-day break between the semifinal and the title clash against Australia here had given the team the time to prepare for the summit clash.
Former South Africa captain and all-rounder Shaun Pollock believe that it will be a fairytale ride if New Zealand wins the ICC T20 World Cup final against Australia.
The New Zealand captain says they can't take anything for granted as Australia are a team full of match-winners and world-class cricketers.
The unpleasant start to the tournament, which saw a defeat against Pakistan, didn't stem the hopes of Kane Williamson-led side. Thereafter, they won four matches on the trot on their way to the final. Ahead of the climax game on Sunday in Dubai, we look at the journey of the Black Caps in the marquee tournament.
From reaching back-to-back ODI World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019, to winning the inaugural World Test Championship in June this year, the Black Caps have been one of the most consistent sides in world cricket.
After a swift start, Australia found themselves in a do-or-die situation where they had to win the last two games in the Super 12 stage by a big margin to seal the place in the semifinal.
Finch also said that every team throughout the world wants to chase in the shortest format, but he also talked about the importance of putting big scores on the board.
Conway sustained the injury in the semi-final against England. Frustrated after being dismissed, Conway hit his own bat and scans today confirmed that he had broken his fifth metacarpal in his right hand.
The tickets for the India vs New Zealand opening T20 will go on sale from Thursday night and will be available on Paytm.
England was "devastated" to lose to New Zealand in the T20 World Cup semifinals but proud to have fought "unbelievably well", said limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan, who hopes to continue as the leader of the side.
Former England skipper Mike Atherton feels New Zealand is the strongest team across all three formats of the game at the moment after the Black Caps reached their maiden T20 World Cup final.
Players of the England and New Zealand teams observed a minute's silence in memory of Mohan Singh, Abu Dhabi's chief curator who died earlier this week, ahead of the first semifinal of the T20 World Cup.
England have been a sensational form in the ongoing tournament, registering dominant victories in the Super 12 stage before losing to South Africa in their final game.
India went out of the semi-final race of the T20 World Cup after New Zealand defeated Afghanistan to grab the last remaining qualifying spot from Group 2 of the Super 12 stage
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