Australia crowned T20 World Cup champions for the first time

Australia remained unbeaten against New Zealand in major ICC event knockouts. Aaron Finch's men beat the Black Caps convincingly by eight wickets and won their maiden T20 World Cup title. Six years after Australia's crushing win in 2015 final, they repeated the feat in the T20 format in Dubai on Sunday. 

Mitchell Marsh and David Warner's magnificent performance with the bat helped the Aussies lift the title. Kane Williamson played a masterclass but ended up being on the losing side.

Earlier, New Zealand collected 32 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first six overs. This was their lowest score in the powerplay. Daryl Mitchell who played a match-winning knock in the semi-final couldn't prolong his innings as Josh Hazlewood got him out in the fourth over. 

After Mitchell's dismissal, Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill added 48 runs in 7.3 overs before the latter was dismissed by Adam Zampa. Guptill struggled to get going and got out scoring 28 off 35 deliveries. 

The momentum started to shift towards the Black Caps when New Zealand took 19 runs off the 11th over bowled by Mitchell Starc. Williamson was dropped on 21 by Hazlewood. That drop proved costly as Williamson took the Australian bowlers on. He placed the ball well and was particularly brutal against Starc. 

The third-wicket stand between Williamson and Phillips yielded 68 runs. The New Zealand skipper did the bulk of the scoring before he fell just 15 short of a hundred. Williamson made 85 off just 48 balls with the help of 10 fours and three maximums. It was the highest individual score in a final of a T20 World Cup by a captain.

New Zealand posted 172 for four after 20 overs. Hazlewood picked up three wickets for just 16 runs in four overs. Starc conceded 60 off his four overs. It was the most expensive spell in a final of a T20 World Cup.  

Aaron Finch once again failed to register a big score as Trent Boult got rid of him in the third over. But the prolific duo of David Warner and Mitchell Marsh kept Australia in the chase. Marsh started positively while Warner took some time to get going. 

But the ninth over of the innings provided the much-needed impetus to Australia's innings. Australia took 17 off that over. Warner was 26 off 26 at one stage but accelerated after that and reached his fifty off 34 balls. 

But he didn't last too long after the fifty and was dismissed in the 13th over. Warner and Marsh added 92 before the former got out scoring 53. When Warner got out, Australia needed 66 off 7.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.

Marsh soon notched up his fifty in 31 balls which was the fastest half century in a T20 World Cup final. Glenn Maxwell, who walked out to bat at number four, took the bowlers on and stitched a partnership of 70 runs with Marsh. Australia went past New Zealand's total with seven balls to spare. Marsh top-scored with unbeaten 77 off 50 balls.  Maxwell was not out on an 18-ball-28. Trent Boult took two wickets for New Zealand.