Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has picked his favourites for the 2021 T20 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The two neighbouring nations will add a new chapter to their Trans-Tasman rivalry. Both teams will battle it out in the summit clash to get their hands on the T20 WC trophy for the first time. Australia will have a psychological edge over New Zealand with their superior record in World Cup events.
Gavaskar feels that Australia have the momentum in their favour and they will be favourites to lift their maiden T20 World Cup trophy.
“It definitely does (whether the superior record gives a psychological advantage). When you have won more often than you have lost, you just enter the field feeling that come what may, you will be able to turn it around. The Australians, I think they are on a roll, they have got the momentum. In the knockouts, it’s not against New Zealand but against most teams that they have an unbelievable record. They will fancy their chances of claiming this ICC T20 cup for the first time,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Australia and New Zealand were second in their groups after the Super 12 stage, with both losing their only match to their group-toppers. In the semifinal, both teams registered wins with the exact same margin of five wickets and an over to spare.
The legendary cricketer further said that the absence of Devon Conway is going to hurt New Zealand in the semifinals.
“If Devon Conway was fit, maybe I would have said 50-50. But with Devon Conway not there, a new person coming in who hasn’t played after the first match, Tim Seifert, it’s not going to be easy for New Zealand. And like I said, Australia’s record in knockouts is awesome,” he said
