The article speaks about the great match between New Zealand and Australia. It was a thrilling match.

The two titans New Zealand and Australia met each other in Pool Match in World Cup cricket in Auckland on 28th February, 2015. The match ended up being the best match of World Cup so far. Before this match New Zealand had an advantage as they had won the first matches and had the best position in its pool with 6 points. While Australia defeated England in the first match, rain spoilt Australia's match against Bangladesh and it was a very costly draw.

 

New Zealand at the end of the match won it by 1 wicket. Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. They started well and at one point of time had the score of 81 runs for 1 wicket.

But from their Daniel Vettori created a collapse and a blistering spell of Trent Boult took away the wind from Australian team. They ended up scoring 151 runs and got all out. David Warner scored 34 runs in 42 balls with 2 boundaries and an over-boundary. Watson scored 23 runs in 30 balls with 2 boundaries. At the end Brad Haddin’s patient innings helped Australia to cross 150 runs. Haddin was the highest scorer with 43 runs in 41 balls with four boundaries and two over-boundaries in his innings. Trent Boult bowled his best ever spell against Australia capturing 5 wickets for 27 runs in 10 overs. Daniel Vettori finished with the figures of 2 wickets for 41 runs in his 10 overs. Southee took 2 wickets for 65 runs in his 9 overs.

 

It appeared to the audience that it will be a one-sided match. McCullum counter-attacked Mitchelle Johnson at the begging of the innings. He scored a blistering 50 runs of 24 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes. But the moment he got out, the entire middle-order collapsed. Kane Williamson stayed on the other side with a valuable 45 runs of 42 balls with 5 fours and one six. But the entire batting order collapsed. Starc bowled the best spell of his career capturing 6 wickets for 28 runs in his 9 overs. Cummins took 2 wickets for 38 runs in his 6.1 overs.

 

After the match one thing was proved. Too much risk of playing lofty shots had almost resulted in recking of the ship of big teams. It happened with Australia. New Zealand for getting their run-ret going did not learn from Australia’s mistakes. Second is too much short-pitched deliveries fetch no rewards instead give advantage to the opponent team. Johnson wasted the pace of his ball with short-pitched delivery and ended up being the worst bowler of Australia after McCullum clobbered him to different parts of the stadium.

 

If we look back at history between New Zealand and Australia matches, always they had a great rivalry. The rivalry were in the same lines as that of India versus Pakistan.

 

In the last 30 years while Australia gave brilliant batsmen of the callibre of Allen Border, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and others, New Zealand gave excellent batsmen like Martin Crowe, Mark Greatbatch, Steven Fleming, Nathan Astle and others. Australia fast bowlers like Denis Lillie, Jeff Thomson, Craig Macdermott, Glenn Mcgrath, Brett Lee entertained the crowds for more than 25 years. New Zealand fast bowlers like Sir Richard Hadlee, Shane Bond, and others did a great job. Both the nations also produced brilliant spinners. Shane Warne was a sensation for Australia. Daniel Vettori was a great spinner for New Zealand. The statistics for New Zealand had not been very pleasant. They played well in majority of group matches in previous World Cups but lost against the other teams during knock out matches in semi-finals. New Zealand never went to the finals of any World Cups. Even the star players like Sir Richard Hadlee and Martin Crowe could not fetch New Zealand any World Cup. On the other hand Australia won the World Cup 4 times. The killer instinct in Australia always helped the players to do miracle in World Cups. Allan Border brought the World cup for Australia in 1987. Steve Waugh fetched them the World Cup once. Ricky Ponting captained Australia for 2 World Cup victories. Australia also has the record of winning the World Cup in 3 different sub-continents. Australia also went to the finals of the World Cups 6 times. They won the title 4 times. They lost against West Indies in one of the finals. They lost against Sri Lanka in the other finals.

 

But this time New Zealand had started the tournament being the favourites. All their pool matches are supposed to be played in New Zealand. That gives them an edge over the other teams. Secondly the fast bowling attack and the spin attack of New Zealand is well balanced. While Southee, Mills, Boult form a formidable attack, Daniel Vettori is probably the best spinner of New Zealand in their history of cricket. In batting also, Williamson and Brendom McCullum are in their best forms. They only have worries about the form of Ross Taylor.

 

On the other hand Australia has a lot of fitness issues. The captain Michael Clarke returned from an injury. He did not play One-days for a long time. So he is not in the best of his form. Johnson also returned from injury. Only Warner and Steven Smith had shown tremendous form in the triangular series played just before the World Cup.

 

In World Cup 2015, Australia and New Zealand were current favourites for the fact that the world cup is being played in Australia and New Zealand. Having home advantage both the teams are expected to dominate over other teams. In that context this match was played. When Australia finished at such a paltry score of only 151 runs, no one thought that New Zealand will mess with the entire chase. At one point viewers thought that New Zealand will lose the match. The last six by Williamson sealed the fate of the Australians. Otherwise New Zealand would have lost the match.