5 reasons why New Zealand are the neutrals' favourites in the final

So it is time for the final showdown. For the first time in the history of coloured clothing cricket, no Asian team has made it to the final of a World Cup. This time, it is the two trans-Tasman rivals of world cricket that face each other in the biggest match of the sport.Both Australia and New Zealand have been in fantastic form, but it is the Men in Black that have been in better touch – they are yet to face the bitterness of defeat and have already beaten the Kangaroos once in the tournament.However, a final is an entirely different ball game and there will be a lot of pressure on both teams. While Australia have won the tournament a record 4 times, New Zealand are yet to break the duck and will be highly determined to do so.From the perspective of a neutral, it would be nice to see New Zealand winning the tournament and here are the reasons why:

#1 People want a new champion

Australia are the team with the most cricket World Cup trophies to their name. They are to cricket what Brazil are to football – and it will be boring to see them win it again.

Imagine a world where the same thing happens over and over again – how tedious would that be? Although, people enjoy common patterns – a look at people’s music choices works as a testament to that claim – seeing the same old team in yellow win the trophy would feel like watching the repeat telecast of an ancient show for the millionth time.

Change is nature and it is high time for one. The best team of this tournament have been New Zealand and no team deserves the biggest prize of them all like the Blackcaps do. So it is time for a change, and what better than having the best team of the tournament be it?

#2 New Zealand need their own superhero

Australia have Wolverine (looking at you, Hugh Jackman) – and now it is time that New Zealand have their own superhero, and who could be a better superhero than ‘Bazman’ Brendon McCullum?

The Kiwis have had their fair share of legendary players and McCullum is one of them. More than anyone in the team in black, he deserves the trophy for the years of service he has given to his nation. The blazing right-hander has played a huge hand in New Zealand’s surging run in this World Cup so far and deserves some recognition for that.

Being the captain, he has led his team from the front and his storming innings against South Africa gave Grant Elliot and co. the platform to place their innings and get the Kiwis through to the final. His brave and attacking batting – as well as captaincy – should make the neutrals root for and see him lift the trophy.

Watch out Wolverine, Bazman is coming to get one over you!

#3 New Zealand focus on playing rather than sledging

When the words ‘Australia’ and ‘cricket’ are said in the same sentence, another word almost immediately springs to mind: “sledging.”

Like Justin Bieber and autotune, Jose Mourinho and narcissism, Andrei Chikatilo and psychopath; Australian Cricket team and sledging are synonymous words. During the glory days of yore, Ricky Ponting and co. made more derogatory remarks at opposition players than the number of abusive remarks that Bangladesh citizens made at India after bowing out of this World Cup.

In fact, they sometimes harassed opponents more with their sledging than cricketing skills.

On the other hand, New Zealand are mild in this regard. They let their cricket do the talking and refrain from getting into verbal wars. Supporting them would put the right image in peoples’ minds – those people who like action are loved more than people who like words.

#4 The underdog

As mentioned earlier, New Zealand winning the World Cup would be a pleasant change. For one, it would definitely give voice to the people who are staunch New Zealand cricket team supporters without being from New Zealand.

And it is not too late for you to start supporting them. You could still support them now and claim that you were a Kiwi supporter before they won the World Cup (that is, if they win it) and feel different and cool about that.

Although the Blackcaps beat their more illustrious rivals earlier on in the tournament, the Australians have 85 wins against New Zealand’s 35 in ODI matches between the two.

#5 Australia have many rivals

Over the last two-and-a-half decades, Australia have dominated world cricket to such an extent that people from almost every cricketing nation developed a sheer dislike for them.

There was once a time when people thought it was impossible to defeat Australia. The Great Wall of China could be breached, the sun could rise from the west, the earth could be flat, Liverpool could win the Premier League…but Australia losing a game was a thought that didn’t even come by accident.

At that time, when they were flying high, Australia also started sledging the wits out of the opposition – which, in turn, made them the most disliked team in the sport. Be it the Indians, English, South Africans or Sri Lankans – fans would have given their kidneys to see the Kangaroos lose a game.

Even though Australia are no longer that superpower, the dislike is still found. As it is impossible to turn back the colour of water to colourless once it has been mixed with Tang, so is it impossible to totally eradicate the disgust that was sown many years ago.

They say that revenge is a dish best-served cold, and neutral fans would want New Zealand to do it to Australia on their behalf.