Aussies crush Kiwis, crowned kings for fifth time

Rohit Mahajan in Melbourne

Australia have won the World Cup with ease and comfort, after their bowlers clubbed the Kiwis into submission Sunday night. The batsmen had the rather easy task of making merely 184 runs for victory. They did this comfortably, buoyed by the Australian supporters in the massive stands of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia’s fifth World Cup win makes them the most successful team in the tournament — the best by any other team is two titles, by the West Indies and India..

(See Video: Aus beat NZ to win World Cup)

(See video: Michael Clarke bids adieu to ODIs)

The night over the MCG was lit up by lights and fireworks, and golden confetti rained over the Australian cricketers who proved to be unbeatable on home turf yet again.

Captain Michael Clarke’s final ODI outing was lit up by an impressive performance by his bowlers, especially Mitchell Starc, who bowled eight overs for 20 runs and took two wickets. 

The first blow he landed, in the form of the wicket of Brendon McCullum, proved decisive — Starc got the New Zealand captain for a duck, deflating the Kiwi hopes. Very disciplined, aggressive bowling then squeezed the life out of the New Zealanders. 

They lost their three premier batsmen — McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson — before the 13th over was completed. New Zealand fought back through a 111-run partnership between Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott, but it was a jog rather than a sprint -- it was scored at less than five runs an over. 

However, it did raise hopes in the Kiwi camp. They hoped that Taylor and Elliot, both capable of smashing the ball into the stands, would initiate a stirring attack in the final overs. But, spurred by the strong home support and their native aggression, the Australian bowlers were primed for an assault on the Kiwi batsmen. James Faulkner struck multiple blows, getting Taylor and Corey Anderson in the same over. Starc got Luke Ronchi in the 36th.  Elliott was the eighth man out, after making 83 off 82 balls. But by then, the light had gone out of the New Zealand batting. 

A score of 184 to win the World Cup is hardly a challenge — if there’s a challenge, it is born in the mind of the batsmen. Australia lost one batsman early and another when the score was 63, in the 13th over. The chase thereafter was unexciting and uneventful. Steven Smith and Michael Clarke played coolly to take the team to victory.