New Zealand scripts huge record achieved by no team in T20 World Cup final vs Australia

As the first innings of the highly-awaited finale of the T20 World Cup came to an end, New Zealand set a defendable target of 173 runs against Australia in the title decider game and enlisted their name in the record books of the T20 World Cup. The Kiwis became the team to score the highest runs while batting in the first innings of a T20 World Cup final, since its inaugural edition in 2007. The Black Caps were sent to bat first by Australia in the ongoing final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

In the journey to set up a total of 172 runs against Australia, the Kiwi batting line-up displayed a gritty game against a top-class Aussie bowling unit. Openers Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell added 28 runs off 23 balls for the first wicket partnership. As Mitchell returned after scoring 11 runs from eight balls, Guptill added 48 runs off 45 balls for the second wicket partnership along with skipper Kane Williamson. After Guptill returned scoring 28 runs after playing 35 balls, Williamson kept New Zealand’s innings alive and hit a sensational knock of 85 runs off 48 balls at a strike rate of 177.08.

Kane Williamson scored 50 individual runs during his partnership of 68 runs with Glenn Philips

Glenn Philips scored 18 runs off 17 balls in a partnership of 68 runs with the skipper before walking back to the pavilion. After Williamson’s dismissal, allrounder James Neesham and wicketkeeper batter Tim Seifert scored 13 and eight runs respectively and took New Zealand’s score to a total of 172 runs. The first innings target set by the Kiwis in the T20 World Cup 2021 is the highest any team has posted in a high-intensity match. In the total of six editions of the T20 World Cup in the past, the previous highest score was the 155 runs scored by England against West Indies, during the 2016 edition.

In the history of the tournament, teams have only won the tournament twice in a total of six finals while batting first as New Zealand look to win against Australia on Sunday’s final, which is the conclusion of the seventh edition of the tournament. Meanwhile, in the second innings of the match, Australia scored 43 runs at the loss of one wicket, after the completion of the power-play. Aussie skipper Aaron Finch returned to the pavilion after scoring five runs off seven balls.

(Image: AP)