T20 WC final, NZ vs Australia: Pitch report, key battles
Australia and New Zealand will square off in the final of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the riveting encounter. Notably, the batters have had success on this venue of late. As many as 11 out of the 12 games in the tournament (Super 12) have been won by the chasing sides. Here is the pitch report.
Both New Zealand and Australia are vying for their maiden T20 World Cup title. The final will be played on a surface where both teams have fared well. New Zealand are unbeaten here after beating India and Scotland, while Australia defeated Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. However, they lost to England. Interestingly, the first-ever T20I was held between Australia and NZ.
As has been the case, the wicket in Dubai is expected to assist the batters. The aggregate score in the second semi-final between Australia and Pakistan, that was held on this venue, was 353. In the match, the ball came nicely on to the bat. Meanwhile, the spinners will always be in action here. The surface has enough movement for the seamers too.
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has hosted a total of 73 T20Is. Notably, the teams batting second have won 38 matches here. The highest team score here is 211/3, while the lowest is 55. Meanwhile, the highest successful run-chase on this venue is 183/5 (Afghanistan vs UAE). The lowest score defended here is 134/7 (Oman vs Hong Kong).
David Warner has a terrific T20I record at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. He has racked up 298 runs from eight T20Is at an average of 42.57. The left-handed opener carries a strike rate of 145.36 on this venue. The tally includes three half-centuries.
It is a well-known fact that Australian skipper Aaron Finch is vulnerable against left-arm seamers. New Zealand's Trent Boult, who has dismissed Finch once in T20 cricket, would want to exploit this weakness. His compatriot Tim Southee has uprooted middle-order batter Glenn Maxwell thrice in T20Is. Besides, leg-spinner Adam Zampa has troubled New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, having dismissed him once in T20Is.
