Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
Posted on: March 28, 2015 | 
ICC World Cup Final - Australia vs New Zealand
Sri Lanka, for example, was bold and brilliant. Their veteran batsmen dismantled all kinds of bowling attacks throughout the tournament, but they finally ran out of luck against South Africa in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, the Proteas were one of the teams that were tipped to make a surprise entry in the World Cup final, but the ‘chokers’ lost to the dark horses, New Zealand, in the last-minutes of an exhilarating semi-final.
India, the defending champions, looked destined to enter the final. While they impressed in the bowling department, their strong batting line-up failed to deliver when they were needed the most. Their arch-rivals, Pakistan, have a very different story to tell. They entered the tournament with the dream of replicating their glorious trophy run of 1992, but the dream turned into a nightmare. Apart, from a few members of the Shaheens there were no high-flyers in the club.
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The West Indies have a similar tale to tell. Their team solely depended upon the batting power of Chris Gayle, and the man delivered like a furious hurricane throughout the tournament. However, the one-many finally faltered as the burden was too much for one man to lift alone. England, a well-reputed name in the echelons of cricket were abysmal throughout the tournament. Sadly, for them they had neither one-man shows nor unity in a team that barely bared fangs or claws in any encounter. As a matter of fact, teams like Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan made a better impact in the World Cup than the English did.
Australia has dominated on all fronts throughout the tournament; taking advantage of the bouncy pitches their fast bowlers have demolished batting line-ups and their batsmen have benefitted from the short boundaries. With the likes of Mitchel Star and Mitchel Johnson leading the pace attack and Steve Smith, Glen Maxwell and Shane Watson spearheading the batting, the Aussies are probably the strongest team in the world right now. However, the Kangaroos do need to look before they leap. They have shown weaknesses in this tournament, and against none other than New Zealand.
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The underdogs have proven they have an impressive arsenal of attack in all departments. Above all, it’s the aggressive psychology of their skipper Brendon McCullum that has brought them this far in the World Cup. However, the limelight cannot be stolen away from his men. Tim Southee and Trent Boult have been magical with the ball in their hands. Meanwhile, Martin Guptill, McCullum, Ken Williamson and Grant Elliot have left on-lookers with their jaws agape many a times throughout the tournament.
These men will be the key once more in the final, although Australia will have learnt from their past mistakes and will show more resilience and prudence in the second encounter. The game could take a slow turn, but after seeing what the dark horses have done thus far, it will turn interesting towards the end. My Prediction – Australia to lift the trophy once more!
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