T20 World Cup: Australia vs New Zealand summit clash to be a repeat of 2015 WC final

Australia got the better of in-form Pakistan in the second semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 by five wickets and an over to spare and by the virtue of this famous win, they have set up a summit clash with New Zealand. It remains to be noted that the Trans-Tasmania rivals will be facing off in a final of the world event for the first time since the 2015 edition of the ODI World Cup which was co-hosted by these two nations. The Aussies led by Michael Clarke got the better of the Brendon McCullum side by seven wickets in a one-sided clash at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

T20 World Cup Finals: Australia & New Zealand renew rivalry after 2015 

Australia and Pakistan had locked horns in the semi-final of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021 at Dubai International Stadium on Thursday evening with the winner earning the right to face New Zealand in Sunday's final at the same venue. The Kiwis had also snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against a spirited England team by five wickets with an over to spare in the first semi-final on Wednesday at Abu Dhabi's Shiekh Zayed Stadium. 

At one point it appeared as if Babar Azam & Co. would be booking a final berth against New Zealand when they had the Aussies on the mat at 96/5 in the 13th over before the middle-order duo of Marcus Stoinis (40*) and wicket-keeper batter Matthew Wade (41*) added an unbeaten 81-run stand that took the 2010 finalists over the line in the penultimate over when Wade slammed premier pacer Shaheen Afridi for a hat-trick of sixes.

Australia vs New Zealand Head to Head

In the last 14 T20I face-off between both sides, it is Australia who reigns supremacy over the BlackCaps having won nine matches with New Zealand registering four victories and one game ending in a tie. When it comes to their head-to-head meetings in T20 World Cups, it is the Kiwis who are on top as they had got the better of their Tran-Tasman rivals by eight runs during the only ICC T20 World Cup meeting in the 2016 edition.

While New Zealand can take confidence from their solitary win in T20 World Cups, the odds are completely stacked against them when it comes to the ICC knockout matches against the same opposition. Apart from the 2015 World Cup final, the Aussies had outperformed the Kiwis in the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal and in the 2009 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy respectively.