Kane Williamson taking on, and knocking out, Mitchell Starc will permanently become part of the highlight reels of the 2021 T20 World Cup final. Of the ten fours and three sixes Williamson willed away with his dodgy elbow, there is one that did not come against Starc, and one that will likely be forgotten. It is also one that perhaps best brings out his T20 batting genius, or plainly, his genius.
Two balls before he got out, Williamson sensed an opportunity with fine leg up against the best bowler of the final, Josh Hazlewood. He stretched his leg right up to the wide marker for the scoop. Seeing the delivery was still wider and slower, Williamson managed to coax his leg into bending and stretching a few more inches. After getting a chunky connection on ball, Williamson’s momentum carried him on to the grass well beyond the pitch and of course, fetched him four more runs. That T20 whiz Jos Buttler would have been proud of what had just happened.
We are getting into a bit of detail about this moment because it was too brilliant to not be recorded, and also, because there wasn’t much else going right for New Zealand on Sunday night in Dubai.
Okay, perhaps we can mention that after he bowled David Warner, Trent Boult had incredible figures of 3-0-8-2. Or that Williamson was on 21 off 21 when he was put down by Hazlewood off Starc, and went on to score 64 off his next 27 deliveries.
That is about it. The brutal truth of the final for New Zealand can be summed in these two sets of numbers – they made 1/57 in their first ten overs, compared to Australia’s 1/82. Their spinners – both frontline ones – went for 0/63 in six overs compared to the Australians’ return of 1/54 in seven overs. And Australia had Glenn Maxwell – who for all his showman skills isn’t exactly a frontline spinner -- bowling three of those.
Take out Williamson, and the rest of the Kiwi line-up made 78 off 72. And you can’t possibly dominate a T20 World Cup final if one of your openers makes 28 off 35, almost an entire powerplay worth of deliveries at a run-rate of less than five runs an over.
The analyst Freddie Wilde tweeted that New Zealand had an attacking shot percentage of just 43 in their first ten overs, as against 63 in the same period by the Australians. Even allowing for the fact that batting second has been consistently easier in Dubai in this tournament, and that chasing can help with clarity of approach, that is a pretty big gap to overcome.
If anything, the fact that they were up against conditions after losing the toss probably necessitated more purpose from New Zealand upfront. But this game was to take us back to the 2015 World Cup final all over again, essentially a no-contest.
Despite Williamson’s acceleration, New Zealand managed four runs less than what Pakistan had made in the semi-final against Australia at the same ground last Thursday. And despite Shadab Khan’s four strikes, we all know how that one ended.
Brendon McCullum’s aggression had lasted all of three balls in the first over of the 2015 final, and New Zealand had bottled up thereafter against big brother neighbour for the rest of the match. Instead of all-out aggression from ball one, Williamson’s team likes to absorb blows and hit back when the time is opportune. But David Warner and Mitchell Marsh just did not give them that opportunity in the chase.
Take out Boult, and the rest of the Kiwi attack went for 151 in 14.5 overs. You cannot possibly hope to compete in a T20 World Cup final when all but one of your bowlers do not really turn up.
It is one thing for your left-arm orthodox and leg-spinners to be hit by the left-hander Warner with the ball coming in to him. It is another for you to be unable to have any impact against the right-hander Marsh. And on a pitch where deep into his innings, Marsh was beaten comprehensively when Mitchell Santner gave a delivery some rare flight and got it to turn and bounce away sharply.
But Santner and Ish Sodhi, in particular, veered to the other extreme regularly. According to Cricviz, New Zealand’s spinners dragged down nearly half their deliveries compared to only a third by the Australian spinners. Forget Dubai, you may be bowling on the fifty day on a Delhi dustbowl but will still be punished if you keep banging the ball half way into the track.
The Kiwi spin duo had totally tied up the Indians on the same ground, albeit while bowling first, in the first of five successive wins. But then, India against New Zealand, or England against New Zealand, is not quite Australia against New Zealand. (Tim Southee and his team-mates can keep the 3-2 home T20I series win from earlier this year, thank you very much)
Dare we whisper it again then, that it was yet another case of the Black Caps running into that familiar, not so friendly neighbourhood yellow jersey and going white on the big night. It doesn't take anything away from the Australians, but it does leave a somewhat bigger question mark hanging over New Zealand and the last hurdle.