T20 World Cup: Can't believe people wrote off David Warner, says Aaron Finch after title triumph

Aaron Finch is a proud man as he became the first Australia captain to lift the ICC T20 World Cup title after leading his team to a 8-wicket win over New Zealand in the final on Sunday. Meanwhile it was the five time ODI World Cup winner’s first T20 World Cup title. The Aussies have now won every title up for grabs in the limited overs cricket. Opener David Warner and number three batsman Mitchell Marsh laid the foundation with a 92-run partnership to register the highest successful run chase in T20 World Cup finals.

“This is huge, to be the first Australia team to do it. So proud of how the guys went about the campaign. We had to fight and certainly did that, had some great team and individual performances,” Finch said before going on to praise Warner and Marsh.

Warner and Marsh scored brilliant half centuries to make the chase look easy after losing Finch early for 5. Warner scored 53 off 38 balls that included four boundaries and three sixes. The opener finished as the second highest run getter in the tournament with 289 runs, behind only Babar Azam. While Marsh smashed an unbeaten 77 from 50 balls.

New Zealand bowlers who had were impressive throughout the tournament struggled in the finals. Marsh and Warner’s aggressive approach unsettled the Kiwi bowlers as they couldn’t find the right line and length. Apart from Trent Boult who finished with 2-18 in four overs all other Kiwi bowlers went for plenty.

Pacer Josh Hazlewood finished with 3-16 in the final

“Can’t believe people wrote him (Warner) off a couple of weeks ago saying he was done, it was almost like poking the bear. [Zampa] Player of the tournament for mine, controlled the game, got big wickets, super player.

“Mitch Marsh, what a way to start, put pressure on from the start. Matt Wade came in under an injury cloud and got the job done. He came in in the semi-final alongside Marcus Stoinis and did the business,” Finch, who was also part of the 2015-winning Aussie side, said at the presentation ceremony.

New Zealand were sent in to bat first and didn’t have a great start, losing opener Daryl Mitchell for 11 runs. However, number three batsman Kane Williamson steadied the ship along with Martin Guptill before the latter was dismissed by Adam Zampa for 28.

Although the Black Caps were 57-1 in 10 overs, Williamson played a brilliant knock of 85 from 48 balls to help his team finish with a total of 172 for the loss of 4 wickets. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Aussie bowlers as he took 3 wickets, giving away just 16 runs in 4 overs. Meanwhile pacer Mitcell Starc finished with figures of 0-60, the most expensive figures in a T20 World Cup final.