New Zealand opt to bat against Australia in final

New Zealand have chosen to bat first in their quest to win the World Cup for the 1^st time

Melbourne, March 29 (IANS) New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and opted to bat against Australia in the cricket World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here on Sunday.

Both teams have gone in with an unchanged squad.

Squads:

Australia: Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steven Smith, Michael Clarke (Captain), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood.

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (captain), Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi (wicketkeeper), Daniel Vettori, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.

Match details:

Umpires - Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and Richard Kettleborough (England)

TV umpire - Marais Erasmus (South Africa)

Match referee - Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)

Reserve umpire - Ian Gould (England)