🐓New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Sunday played a captain's knock to help his team post a fighting total of 172/4 against Australia in the final of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021. But his record of fastest fifty in 32 balls lasted only a couple of hours as Mitchell Marsh produced a 31-ball fifty to help Australia make a mockery of the 173-run target.
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🅠After a sluggish start to the innings, the Kiwis reached with Williamson hitting 85 off 48 balls, with the help of ten fours and three sixes.
ꦦThe 31-year-old reached his fifty on 32 balls with back-to-back sixes, and in the process recorded the fastest half-century in the final of the Men's T20 World Cup.
🤡He also became the second captain to hit a fifty in the final. In fact, his 85 is the joint highest for any batter in a final, sharing the honours with West Indies' Marlon Samuels (85 not out) against England in 2016 final.
𓃲Marsh, 30, reached his fifty with a six off the Ish Sodhi in the 14th over. He was involved in a 92-ball stand in 59 balls with opener David Warner (53 off 38).
🍌Warner became Australia's highest scorer in a single edition of T20 World Cup. During the knock, he overtook Matthew Hayden's 265 in the inaugural edition (2007).
🎃Earlier, Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and opted to bowl first. New Zealand made one change from their semi-final win against England with Tim Seifert coming in for injured Devon Conway.
Australia fielded an unchanged XI.
💫Mitchell Starc conceded 60 runs, the most by a bowler in a T20 World Cup final, breaking Lasith Malinga's unwanted record (54) against West Indies in Colombo in 2012.
♎In T20Is, Starc's 60 is the second most conceded by an Aussie bowler. Andrew Tye leaked 64, also against the Kiwis in a T20I match in 2018.
