Dubai: An injury-ravaged Mitchell Marsh finally found his night of reckoning and glory as he led Australia to their maiden T20 World Cup title with his stroke-filled 77 that fashioned his team’s comfortable eight- wicket win over New Zealand, here on Sunday.
A target of 173 in a global final is never easy but Marsh with his power and reach made it look like a walk in the park in company of David Warner (53 off 38 balls), who also turned the wheels of fortune for himself and his team during a victory, achieved in 18.5 overs.
Marsh, a man of immense potential, who has never really done justice to his enormous talent, lit the Dubai’s skyline with some ruthless stroke-play and it was one such night when Kane Williamson’s touch of class was left in the shadow.
It’s never the great feeling to watch Williamson as a ‘tragic hero’ but even in defeat, the graceful Black Caps skipper would doff his hat for Marsh, who became Australia’s ‘Man for the Job’, having been promoted to number three for this tournament.
There were twitched eyebrows for the better part but no more after the ‘Super Sunday’. It was a night when brute power defeated sheer artistry. Marsh hit six fours and four sixes, including a couple off monster ones off Ish Sodhi’s (0/40 in 3 overs) bowling. One was a slog sweep and the second was a straight one down the ground.
