New Zealand vs Australia T20 World Cup Final, toss report: Australia opt to bowl

Australia captain Aaron Finch and NZ captain Kane Williamson. (Source: Twitter)

Australia won the toss in the final of the T20 World Cup 2021 and opted to bowl first. 

They are unchanged for the game while NZ bring in Tim Seifert for injured Devon Conway.

Australia captain Aaron Finch said that history between the two sides has nothing to do with how both teams go about in the final. 

He said,"We'll have a bowl. Looks a little bit dry but I don't think it will change. It might skid with the new ball. We're playing the same team. The way we hung in the contest and take it deep was crucial for us. Zampas has been superb for a while in the shortest format, and hopefully that will continue. It is a new format, a new team and our record over NZ doesn't matter at all."

Black Caps captain Kane Williamson said he would have also bowled had he won the toss. He also said that it is a real shame to have lost Devon Conway like that.

He said, "We have one obvious change: Conway is out and Seifert is in. It is a shame that he misses but as a team we have to move on and focus on the challenge at hand. Mitch Santner is a world class operator and it didn't quite work out in the match the other night. We don't want to look too far ahead and we just need to make a few small adjustments."

This is the second time both these sides are meeting in a ICC World Cup final in six years. The last time they met was in the ODI World Cup final in 2019, which Australia had won. 

"The pitch looks dry. There is no real grass on the wicket. Sodhi and Zampa overs going to be crucial. It has been a nice batting wicket. Could be two-paced, particularly batting second," reckons Shane Watson.

Playing XI:

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson(c), Tim Seifert(w), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood