Australian head coach Justin Langer said that his team will come out with a mindset of winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 final against New Zealand on 14th November in Dubai.
Australia claimed a 5-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second semi-final to seal the spot in the final of the T20 World Cup 2021.
Chasing the target of 177 runs, Australia kept losing wickets at regular intervals and it almost seemed that their hopes of qualifying for the final of the tournament will shatter as they found themselves tumbling at 96/5.
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However, an unbeaten 81-run partnership between Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis helped Australia snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and seal a place in the final of the T20 World Cup 2021.
There’s also no denying the fact that toss has played a massive role in the tournament. Teams chasing, have comfortably managed to get past the line especially in Dubai. The venue for the final has witnessed 11 wins out of the 12 matches for the team batting second.
Australian head coach Justin Langer revealed that Aaron Finch wanted to bat in the semi-final against New Zealand. He said that his team should take the toss out of the equation and should have a mindset to win from any situation.
"Finchy actually thought about batting last night because it was a big final but people talked him out of it. Can't deny the statistics. In the final, you know how close it got last night, it could have gone either way. Very important we have the mindset whether we bat first or bowl first that we can win from any situation,” Justin Langer told reporters.
Langer lauded the fearless approach of his side, recalling Marcus Stoinis’ six on the very next delivery after the dismissal of Glenn Maxwell. He said that to win the tournament his side need to play as they did in the match against Bangladesh in the group stage.
“When Marcus Stoinis - the ball after the wicket - hit the six off the leggie, that's what you call fearless cricket. And if you are going to win this tournament we have got to continue on with the way we played Bangladesh (in a group game when they chased won 74 in 6.2 overs), bat first or second, that fearless or aggressive batting is going to be crucial,” he said.
Langer praised New Zealand for playing consistent cricket throughout the years. He admitted that Australia has to be at their best to beat them in the final.
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"We have been born up watching the All Blacks. The way New Zealand have gone about their business for the last few years has been outstanding. They are a really Good bunch of blokes.
“They get on with the job and get it done. We have to be at our best like we have been throughout this tournament to beat New Zealand. Great respect and friendship between both teams. We are looking forward to this contest. A lot of history,” he said.
Analyzing the batting order, he taled about Marsh's newfound form, Smith and Maxwell's roles and also expressed his delight at Stoinis and Wade's finishing skills.
“Aaron Finch, Dave Warner is a no brainer. Mitch Marsh grabbed his opportunity in the West Indies. I have never seen him play as well he has been playing.
"So he is the final piece of the puzzle for us. Maxi fits in. Steve Smith is the Mr. Fixit. Talk about finishers and so pleasing to see Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade grabbing that opportunity,” he concluded.
(AFP inputs)
