CWC 15 Final: Australia vs New Zealand - 5 things to look forward to

After 43 days of intense cricketing rivalries, where the world witnessed lop-sided encounters doubled with tense, nail-biting finishes, the top two teams, New Zealand and Australia face off in the final of the 11th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup on Sunday. Defined by consistency and aggression, the host nations are on the cusp of writing history when they meet at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground, the venue for the 49th match of the event.Led by Brendon McCullum and Michael Clarke respectively, both the teams have the arsenal and the firepower to emerge victorious and be crowned World Champions. Here are 5 things to look forward to in the summit clash.

#1 Brendon McCullum - the aggressive leader and batsman

Aggressive- a word which can aptly define the NZ cricket teams approach in the WC, which has seen them enter the finals on the back of an unbeaten 8 match winning streak.

McCullum, the captain of the Black caps, has been instrumental in taking the team to the finals of the WC for the first time, leading the way with a fearless, never-say-die attitude.

On the field, he has paved the way for a style of captaincy which doesnt shy away from experimenting, all the while exuding confidence in his boys. Not one to be stubborn, he is quick to change his plans if he sees his original ones backfiring. He wont hesitate in putting 5 slips in the 14th over of the innings and neither will he think twice in bowling out his frontline pacer Trent Boult in his very first spell, seen in the Quarter Final gameagainst the West Indies.

Former Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming, while calling his captaincy contagious, also applauds his strategy as an opener- putting bat to ball with the sole intention of hitting every delivery out of the park. Baz, with 328 runs in 8 matches may not be on top of the highest run getters list, but a strike rate of 191- the highest ever in the tournament- shows why he is to be feared.

Diving, sliding, flinging around the field saving each run as if his life depended on it, McCullum has inspired his young team to play a brand of cricket which makes them favourites to win the Cup for the first time.

#2 Michael Clarke\'s final ODI match

Captain Clarke will turn out for the last time for Australia in the shorter formats on Sunday

Michael Clarke, who barely made it into the WC squad for Australia, after having missed most part of the summer nursing a torn right hamstring, sustained during the 1st test match between India and which threatened to end his playing career, announced his retirement from the shorter formats of the game after the WC final, in a bid to prolong his Test career.

Pup, as he is fondly called, has 7907 runs in 244 games at an average of 44.42 with 8 hundreds and 57 half centuries.

The 33 year old has managed only 145 runs runs in 5 innings this tournament and would want to bow out on a high by helping Australia clinch their 5th World title.

#3 Daniel Vettori - Will he bid adieu on a high?

Daniel Vettori who is all set toretire from international cricket after tomorrows game, will bejoining the list of legends who have called curtains on their playing career after the WC, if McCullums words are to be believed. The left arm spinner, who had played only 8 ODIs since 2012, was drafted into New Zealands squad for the WC for his experience and wicket taking abilities in the middle overs.

Complimenting the new ball bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee, Vettori has failed to release the pressure built up by the pacers, picking up 15 wickets in 8 games at an economyof below 4 runs per over.

Against the Aussies he has picked up 55 wickets in 58 games and his spell against Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith in the middle overs could prove to be the crucial moment in the match.

#4 Who will finish as the leading wicket-taker - Starc? or Boult?

Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult will be involved in a battle to become the best bowler of the WC when the two teams face off in the finale on Sunday.

Starc, the 65 left arm bowler has 20 wickets from 7 outings while Boult with 21 scalps in 8 innings became the most successful Kiwi bowler in a single edition of the WC, overtaking Geoff Allotts tally of 20 wickets in the 1999 edition.

Starc, who has the knack of consistently bowling the toe crushing yorkers at 150 kmph will be ably supported by Mitchell Johnson, who after bowling a barrage of short balls to Virat Kohli in the 2^nd semi-final,seems to be back in his elements after an indifferent beginning to the event.

Boult on the other hand will have Tim Southee, who generates late outswing at a good pace and Matt Henry, the rookie who impressed in his teams semi final win against South Africa.

#5 The historic MCG and the ground realities

Much talk has revolved around the fact that NZ have played all 8 games of the tournament so far at stadiums in Auckland and Wellington which are much smaller to the MCG where the final is to be played.

Auckland’s Eden Park and the MCG both have hosted 4 WC games so far- of them Auckland has witnessed a staggering 56 sixes compared to MCG’s 19. However, given the kind of form McCullum and the Kiwi batsmen are in, it seems unlikely that the big grounds are going to pose a challenge to them.

The Kangaroos step out on the field having played almost 312 matches on the ground, compared to NZ’s 19 games, the last of which was played almost 6 years ago. They have won only 4 matches here and the two paced MCG wicket offering reverse swing could prove to be a major obstacle in New Zealand’s quest for their first world cup.

The Kiwis not only have to deal with the Aussie lineup which boasts of a number of match winners, but also ward off the challenge that a 90,000 Aussie crowd will impose. McCullum’s team should however take heart from the fact that a ground and its history alone are not sufficient to fetch a team the elusive Cup.