The T20 World Cup is set to see a new champion on Sunday as New Zealand face Australia in the final on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. The ‘Trans-Tasman’ rivals have never won the tournament before.
The journey of both teams has been very similar till now in the tournament. Both New Zealand and Australia finished second in their Super 12 group with a record of four wins and one loss in five matches.
In fact, they won their semi-final with identical margins of five wickets and six balls to spare. Kane Williamson-led New Zealand upset England to reach the final while Australia defeated Pakistan in a thrilling encounter.
The two teams are extremely evenly matched going into the summit clash and it’s hard for any cricket expert to predict a winner. Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has compared the two teams to the famous ‘Turtle and Rabbit’ story.
Speaking on his Youtube channel, Harbhajan said, “The journey of New Zealand and Australia in the T20 World Cup 2021 is similar to the story of the Turtle and Rabbit. If Australia look to act as clever as the rabbit and go for an attacking approach, then there are chances that they could lose some early wickets. New Zealand are known to play calculative cricket and they know which bowlers to target.”
Harbhajan, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season stated that Kane Williamson’s captaincy gives him an edge over counterpart Aaron Finch.
“I would give Kane the edge because there are no superstars in the team. They follow their process in the very simplest manner, which is why they have been so consistent and successful. He is the backbone of this team and the temperament he has keeps him ahead of Finch,” said Harbhajan.
While the dew factor has become an interesting talking point especially in the evening games in Dubai, Harbhajan feels that controlling nerves will be a bigger factor than dew.
“It remains to be seen how much dew will be there. But the dew factor should not be given more importance over batting and bowling. It can be an excuse if you lose, but the final is all about handling the pressure. The team who can control their nerves better will come out on top,” said the 2007 T20 World Cup winner.
This is the first time that New Zealand will play the final of the T20 World Cup. On the other hand, this is Australia’s second appearance in the summit clash having lost the 2010 final to England.
