ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Toss may decide outcome of Australia-New Zealand final

For New Zealand, the toss becomes doubly important, considering their dismal record against their Tasman neighbours. (Twitter/T20 World Cup)

Australia vs New Zealand Toss Factor: When Australia take on New Zealand in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai, one of the teams will look to achieve a rare feat during this year’s competition — win batting first.

Only one side has won batting first in the 14 Super 12 matches across venues. In Dubai, the venue for the final, teams batting first have won only once in 12 matches across the competition. The ICC T20 World Cup, especially the knockout stages, seems to favour teams batting second. In the five finals so far, only once — the West Indies in 2012 — did a side batting first win the competition.

The venue for Sunday’s final favoured sides batting second in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) as well. Of the 13 IPL matches hosted by Dubai, nine were won by chasing sides.

It would be obvious that the team winning the toss would bowl first, given the chance.

Not long now! #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/bIyrdDd21w

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 13, 2021

Numbers against Kiwis: For New Zealand, the toss becomes doubly important, considering their dismal record against their Tasman neighbours. The last time the Kiwis beat Australia in the crunch game of a multi-nation tournament was all the way back in 1981, data analyst Gaurav Sundararaman tweeted. Since then, the Aussies have won all 16 matches they have played, including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final in 2015.

In T20s, the two sides have faced each other 14 times. Here also, Australia hold the edge with nine wins. One of the five Blackcaps wins, however, came in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2016 — the only time the two neighbours have faced each other in the competition.

This will also be Australia’s ninth appearance in the final of a limited overs ICC tournament. The Kangaroos have won five of their previous outings, including one against New Zealand. The Kiwis, on the other hand, have lost both times they have reached the finals, including the heart-breaking loss at the hands of England in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final in 2019.