Aaron Finch, captain of the Australian side, explained to what extent toss would a factor in the final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Finch cited the example of the recently played Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 final held in Dubai where eventual champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defended 192 runs after being asked to bat first by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). So far, captains winning the toss have opted to field in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021, a trend which usually yielded better and positive results for the chasing side.
Explaining in detail, Finch discussed the toss in the semi-final against Pakistan which he won. Finch, too, went with the trend of bowling first.
"Absolutely it can be overcome. At some point, to win this tournament you're going to have to win batting first. I was actually hoping to lose the toss against Pakistan because I would have loved to put a score on the board in that semi-final.
"It was one of those ones where you're probably never going to bat first but you don't mind if you have to. It's the same going into the final," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Finch as saying.
The Australian skipper also highlighted how the toss in the IPL 2021 final became irrelevant after MS Dhoni-led CSK posted a huge total on the board.
"We saw it in the IPL final. Chennai were able to put a big score on the board and really squeeze there. It comes down to the day. If you can put a total on the board and make the opposition take risks early in their innings, then that's what it's all about," he added.
Finch revealed how captains around the world have been tempted to chase in T20 format in the recent past. He said, "I reckon around the world a lot of teams love chasing in T20 cricket. It does come with its risks, though. If an opposition puts up a big total on the board, it can be difficult to chase it down, regardless of where you're playing. It's a Catch 22, but the trend of the tournament has been chasing."
The Australian leader praised the New Zealand side for being extremely disciplined in all the three departments of the game in this tournament and.
"Anytime you play New Zealand you know how much of a contest it's going to be. They're so disciplined in all three facets of the game. Their fielding is outstanding and they're a team you have to be on for all 40 overs if you're going to get over the line. They seem to just hang around for long enough in any kind of contest and wear you down. They fight and scrap in every situation," he concluded.
Australia defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the second semi-final and joined New Zealand, who earlier went past England by the same margin.