Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
Posted on: March 30, 2015 | 
Michael Clarke shows off the World Cup trophy to fans at Federation Square, Melbourne
With high expectations from both sides, what ensued after the toss was unexpectedly lacklustre, and certainly not up to the standards of a World Cup final. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first. The 93,000 strong crowd welcomed the openers onto the pitch, but their stay was cut short following magical spells from Australian bowlers Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson.
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The moment - Steven Smith and Shane Watson take off after the winning runs |
Clearly, Australia had come out with a plan. They weren’t giving the aggressive New Zealand batsmen room to swing the bat. By the time Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot were on the pitch, the Kangaroos had the Kiwis in a corner. Nonetheless, the two batsmen managed to stabilize the situation by building a partnership of over a 100 runs, but as soon as Taylor fell, the rest of the batting line-up crumbled like falling dominoes. With the final score standing at 183, Elliot was the man of the hour for New Zealand once again, thanks to his 83 runs from 82 balls.
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Dejected New Zealand players look on during the presentation ceremony |
A lot rested on the shoulders of New Zealand bowlers, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori. Australia came out hitting hard, clearly in a hurry to end their wait to lift the crown. Their lack of patience resulted in Aaron Finch’s early dismissal, but David Warner compensated well for that. Steve Smith steered the Aussies into direction with his 50. After Warner’s dismissal, Clarke stepped onto the pitch and delivered a fine captain’s innings, scoring 74 runs of 72 balls. Upon his dismissal, the crowd gave him a much-deserved standing ovation, as it was the last ODI innings of his prolific career. Clearly, the captain had delivered once again for his country.
Australia managed to acquire their target in 33.1 overs, with seven wickets remaining. Meanwhile, New Zealand mourned over their poor performance, but looked optimistic about their future. Still, as they return home, the memory of coming so close to the Cup and then losing it in such a mortifying way will haunt them for some time. On the other hand, hot-favourites from the start, Australia have lifted their 5th World Cup title, proving that their reign on the cricket field has not ended yet.
All images taken from www.espncricinfo.com
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