New Zealand's Excellence In The Powerplay Is A Potential Challenge For, Says Aaron Finch Ahead Of The T20 World Cup Final Clash

Australia captain Aaron Finch reckons that New Zealand, their opponents in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final on Sunday, have been the best in Power-play with the ball and will be a challenge for his team to see them off in the first six overs. He added that the Black Caps have shown that they are a quality side for a long time. In the final to be held at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, both Australia and New Zealand will be vying to win the trophy for the first time.

"I think the New Zealand side, they have got a huge amount of quality and they have shown that over a long period of time now. I think they have been the best Power-play performing team with the ball in this tournament, so that's going to be a challenge," said Finch while replying to a query from IANS in the pre-final press conference on Saturday.

"They have got obviously Darren Mitchell who played a great knock in the last game against England. Martin Guptill, class and power. Then you've got Kane Williamson who is all class as well in the top three. They have got match winners right throughout their innings, and with the bat and ball, Ish Sodhi and Mitch Santner have shown their class in the past as well. It's a game between two sides that are really similarly matched I think and it will be a great game," added Finch.

Finch went on to say that matches in the ongoing tournament have been won by teams who have bossed power-play phases in both innings. "I think we've seen throughout the tournament the importance of the power play. A lot of games have been dictated by who has won the initial contest in the Power-play in both innings. No doubt it will be a real challenge. It won't define who wins the match but it does help set up your innings if you perform over the bat and on the flip side, if you can make inroads and get early wickets with the ball it goes a long way to trying to control the middle overs on your terms a little bit more."

The 34-year-old refused to believe that the final on Sunday was billed as an 'unexpected final', as many hadn't given a chance to both teams to reach the summit clash. "It's not unexpected. We came here with a clear plan to try to win this tournament. We always felt as though we've got the depth of the squad and the quality in our squad to put ourselves in a position to do that."

"New Zealand have been in every final for a long time now in ICC events. They are a great team over all the three formats of the game. They are a team that can never be underestimated. But maybe people on the outside do. Certainly inside, we don't. They have got firepower, experience, and class. No, I'm not surprised one bit."