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And that is that. After close to a month's action across 45 games, 16 teams and four different venues, we have our new Men's T20 World Champion - Australia! It has been nothing short of a pleasure bringing the coverage of this tournament to you and all of us here at Sportskeeda humbly thank you for tuning into our coverage right through. We hope you enjoyed it just as much as we did bringing it to you but there is no dearth to cricketing action now, is there? So keep yourselves in check with all the action and news from across the globe on this very platform while also remembering to join us back this Wednesday (November 17) for the start of New Zealand's tour of India. On behalf of my friends and co-commentators Pratyush Rohra and Shashwat Kumar, this is yours truly, Sooryanarayanan Sesha, urging you to stay safe and take care! Goodnight and see you around!
Aaron Finch goes up to the dais to collect the one trophy that has been missing in the Men's trophy cabinet for the Australians. And he holds it aloft as the confetti goes off in the background. The wait is over - Australia have laid their hands on the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021! The party begins, the celebrations will go hard and long into the night. The players thank their supporters in the stands. This is a sweet moment for them all and heading into a bumper home summer that begins with the Ashes, things surely can't get better for a start now, can it?
Spare a moment for Kane Williamson and his Blackcaps though. It has been another tough night for them in a limited-overs final. Sure, this pill may not be as bitter a one to swallow when compared to the drama of 2019 but they made it so close, yet so far again. Of course, they will have a shot at redemption the next year in Australia but the Kiwis can hold their head high after another solid campaign in an ICC tournament.
Aaron Finch (Australian captain): This one's huge. To be the first Australian team to do it. So proud of the guys. (Bangladesh game being the turning points) We knew our backs were against the wall and I think if you keep putting people in that situation, they will fight. That was fantastic. Warner was unbelievable. I can't believe people were writing him off. That's how he plays. It was like poking a bear. Zampa was exceptional as well. He controlled the tournament and got big wickets. Mitch Marsh, what a way to start. He put pressure on New Zealand from the start. Matty Wade came in under an injury cloud and got the job done. He came in the semi-final alongside Marcus Stoinis and did the business. Extremely proud of the boys tonight.
Kane Williamson (New Zealand captain): With the start, we were looking to set a platform. The surface was slightly holding a fraction. It was nice to be able to build some partnerships to get to what we thought was a competitive total at the halfway stage. It was chased superbly by Australia. They are a great side and had a brilliant campaign. You never really know, but at halfway we made every effort to get a good total. The guys came out and committed to the plans. We weren't far away. Having said that, credit to the way Australia chase it, they didn't give us an inch. We tried to make it difficult but it wasn't to be today, but proud of how we've operated. Guys committed to what we tried to do in venues that varied a lot. There was a lot of heart shown, always nice to get to the big dance. But credit to Australia again. Some high hopes coming in, some good cricket played, so we're feeling it a bit. There are only two possible outcomes, shame we couldn't get the job done.
Now the New Zealand players come up to the dais to receive their medals. They have been magnificent all tournament alright. This will be a tough pill to swallow but that doesn't take anything away from a wonderful campaign for the side.
David Warner is the Player of the Tournament:
I always felt very good. Two practice matches - I didn't get much time in the middle. Just had to go back to my basics and hit a lot of balls hard. Definitely payed off. This one is up there with the 2015 World Cup. We lost the final ten years ago to England and that hurt but the women won the Cup and that was great. A lot of credit to these great bunch of guys. I'm always pumped (laughs) - we were able to deliver today. There are always nerves in a final but glad we stepped up.
Mitchell Marsh is the Player of the Match (was that ever in doubt?):
Absolutely (on top of the world). What an amazing six weeks with these group of men and after it all, we are World Champs. The coaching staff came up to me in the West Indies and they told me I was going to bat at 3 in the tournament. I absolutely jumped at that. Everyone in the Australian setup backed me with it. Just wanted to get out there and have a presence. Big Marcus Stoinis always talks to me about having a presence in the contest and to go out there and play my game. It feels unbelievable.
We've still got the presentations coming up, folks. Stay tuned! Australia haven't lost a World Cup final in 25 years. They'll go into their home T20 World Cup as defending champions. Just the tonic they needed ahead of the Ashes, no? At least that's what you'd think. Meanwhile, kudos to New Zealand. Three finals in three different formats. That's one hell of an achievement. The nice guys end up second today, but as always, they remain graceful in defeat. Stick around...
Justin Langer (Australian Head Coach): It's hard to process and put into words but this is such a special group of people. When we got back together after a few months it was almost like a reunion. We knew when we came back together how much talent we have. In West Indies and Bangladesh there were a few missing pieces - Mitch Marsh took one of those pieces. He's just been unbelievable. These guys have so much fun on and off the ground. In this form of the game, it's important to have so much fun. That's what these boys have done and that has been a big part of our success here. Zamps puts a smile on my face every time. He's so competitive and so good in this form of the game. Josh Hazlewood didn't play the last one-day World Cup since he had some issues with his back. He's come back here and been fantastic for us.
Meanwhile, a beaming Aaron Finch signs the buggy cam.
Steve Smith: This means a lot. This is a trophy that eluded us for a long time and it's good to get over the line finally. Warner's last two weeks have been amazing. A lot of people were writing him off and he's just taken a couple of innings to get back in form and answer his critics.
Adam Zampa: I just tried to use my strengths to the best of my abilities. I knew the wicket was a bit low. After winning the toss and bowling first I tried to use that to the best of my ability.
Glenn Maxwell: Zampa has been magnificent for us. He has been working hard throughout and among leg-spinners in white ball cricket, there aren't too many better at the moment. I was able to give myself a few days off before the tournament and prepare well. A lot of credit goes to the support staff - we've been in bubbles for almost two years now and they've been great with us.
Pat Cummins: It hasn't sunk in yet. It's a good thing we played some IPL over here. Even with Hazlewood, it was about not getting to funky and deliver the good balls while mixing it up. Mitchell Starc: It hasn't been the ideal set up. We have got around one and other and I think that shows. The closeness of this group got us through in this tournament and hopefully, that goes on in the summer as well. Zampa has been fantastic. Our best white-ball bowler in recent years and he allows us pacers to do our job.
Matthew Wade: It's huge for the nation. A lot of people wrote us off and we're now the first team to achieve this for Australia. Very special. We reflected on our innings and we didn't realize what we achieved the previous night. We were confident of doing it today as well but Mitch finished it off for us tonight.
Marcus Stoinis: This team is beautiful. I can't keep to be playing with them. We absolutely love each other. So so happy for Mitch Marsh. You won't find bigger supporters of Mitch Marsh than us and his family.
Australia 173/2 in 18.5 overs (Mitchell Marsh 77* off 50 balls, David Warner 53 off 38 balls, Trent Boult 2/18 off four overs) beat New Zealand by 8 wickets to win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021!
Australia vowed to play an attacking brand of cricket post their loss to England a couple of weeks earlier. And that continued in the final as well. They brought about a change in approach - they took the positive route and it yielded them the positive outcome they were after. And after a long, long wait, they will get to lay their hands on that trophy!
Australia were keen on a positive start but Trent Boult sent down a quiet over. David Warner brought out a couple of quick boundaries upfront but Aaron Finch fell soon, with Daryl Mitchell pulling off an excellent catch in the deep. The other Mitchell - Marsh that is - came out seeing it like a beach ball out there.
Marsh was having none of them sighters - he took to Adam Milne from the word go and put him under the pump, thus allowing David Warner to play himself in. Nothing that the Blackcaps bowlers tried seemed to work - their slower deliveries were met with disdain as they were just not penetrative enough. And when New Zealand's chief wicket-taking lynchpin in Ish Sodhi endured a torrid outing, it summed up a long outing on the park for the Kiwis.
Warner in particular took the attack to spin through the middle-overs to bring up another outstanding half-century. It was then that Kane Williamson turned to Trent Boult for a wicket and the left-arm seamer answered his call with the wicket of Warner. That did not stop the Marsh carnage though as he broke Williamson's record for the fastest 50 in a Men's T20 World Cup final. The writing was definitely on the wall when Glenn Maxwell got a few fortuitous boundaries to his name and there was simply no stopping the Australians - it felt like the early noughties all over again!
Thereafter, it was always going to be a formality. No late twist to the tale, no cat among the pigeons - New Zealand's bowling unit just didn't turn up and the Australians were just too professional on the big night. And it was Glenn Maxwell who finished it with a reverse-hit over third man to spark off the celebrations - they will go hard and long into the night. In Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and all over Australia, there won't be any Monday morning blues whatsoever!
Absolute scenes in Dubai as Mitchell Marsh is embraced by his players. They run onto the field as the fireworks go off. Finally, finally, Australia are T20 World Champions! Mitchell Marsh is the hero of the moment but it's a team effort from the Aussies in this tournament. Count the Aussies out at your own peril, they say. No one gave them a chance in this tournament and look what they've gone and done! They lost their last 5 T20I series in the lead-up to the tournament and they'll leave as world champions!
18.5 Tim Southee to Glenn Maxwell, FOUR! THAT WILL BE THAT! CHAMPIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME! Slower delivery on a length outside off stump and Maxwell seals it with a customary reverse hit. He switches over his hands and guides it past short third man as the Aussies run onto the field and embrace each other! What a turnaround this has been! Remember the thumping by England? This Australian team seems very different now!
18.4 Tim Southee to Mitchell Marsh, slower delivery on a length outside off stump. Marsh waits an eternity for it and flat bats that one down the ground for another easy single
18.3 Tim Southee to Glenn Maxwell, slower delivery on a back of a length outside off stump. Maxwell goes back and hacks the ball down the ground towards long on for a single
18.2 Tim Southee to Mitchell Marsh, back of a length delivery on middle and off stump. Marsh looks for the pull but mistimes it towards the sweeper at deep mid wicket for one