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Business News/ Industry / New Zealand’s inspiring leader comes undone at last hurdle
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New Zealand’s inspiring leader comes undone at last hurdle

Despite the bitter experience of the final, McCullum said it would not affect his side's playing style in the future

As with Richard Hadlee and Martin Crowe before him, Brendon McCullum will be regarded as a pivotal figure of New Zealand cricket. Photo: APPremium
As with Richard Hadlee and Martin Crowe before him, Brendon McCullum will be regarded as a pivotal figure of New Zealand cricket. Photo: AP

Sometimes first overs can define World Cup finals. Zaheer Khan’s adrenaline-fuelled misfire in the 2003 final set the tone, as did his maiden in 2011 that spoke of a team that had wizened to the necessity of retaining composure in the big moment. Surely the 2015 duel between Brendon McCullum and Mitchell Starc would, in time, find itself on that list.

This was undeniably the contest of the final, between men who embodied the spirit of their sides. McCullum’s role as an opening batsman has been symbolic of a marauding general leading his troops into battle, while Starc’s doggedness and excellence have lifted Australia during spells when the team’s batting has been below par. That this individual shootout lasted only three balls was representative of this World Cup final as a whole.

“He was a bit too good for me today, that’s for sure," McCullum admitted. “He was outstanding, bowled at good pace, he swung the ball late, and he was incredibly accurate all the way along, as well. Sometimes in this game, you go in with your best laid plans and your ideal scenario of how you see the game panning out. Sometimes a guy is just too good for you, and that’s the beauty of this game."

McCullum was asked whether, given the way the ball was swinging in the early overs, it might have been a good idea to hold his horses for a bit. “I think I tried to block the one I got out on, and that didn’t work too good, either," he joked, referring to his dismissal.

“But we knew that it would swing for a little while, but it swung in New Zealand and we’ve been able to be productive against swing bowling. We’ve manufactured a really good strike rate in those first 10 overs and it’s been a real strength of ours. You factor all that stuff in. Again, it just comes down to they were too good, and you can’t look too deeply on that."

New Zealand are accustomed to the way McCullum plays. His team knows they could be 0 for 1 in the first over, or 70 for no loss after five overs, as they were in the semifinal against South Africa. For a team with no prior experience to playing in the final, New Zealand desperately needed the latter. Another successful early surge from McCullum would have calmed the dressing room. It would have inspired a feeling of continuity from their campaign at home.

His dismissal drained the aggressive confidence from the side. Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson followed him to the dressing room shortly after. Briefly, the occasion, the atmosphere, the intensity of a World Cup final seemed to be too much for them. “I think Australia, they stepped up," McCullum said. “You know, they have got some experience playing in big occasions, and maybe that was one of the differences, as well."

Despite the bitter experience of the final, McCullum said it would not affect his side’s playing style in the future. “I think there’s an element of fearlessness about how we play, which has been an effect on other teams as well," he said. “It’s what gives us our greatest pleasure, as well, and sometimes we’re going to come undone, but for us to compete against the big teams on regular occasions and for us to be able to develop into the team we want to be, we need to keep playing this brand of cricket, and we’ll get better at doing it the more we become accustomed to it. So yeah, we’re not going to change."

As with Richard Hadlee and Martin Crowe before him, McCullum will be regarded as a pivotal figure of New Zealand cricket. In some ways, in galvanizing a rugby nation through cricket in a way never seen before, he has even surpassed them. “We’ve had some support from our country which we never believed was possible. We ran second today, and all credit to Australia, but we walk away with our heads held high," McCullum said.

As the final headed towards its inexorable end, McCullum cut a poignant figure. He tried too many bowling changes, the earliest sign that he and his team were unsettled. Several times he desperately harried after the ball, even when there was little chance of preventing a boundary. He has been an inspirational leader for New Zealand. Tonight he seemed powerless to stop the tide.

Did he have any regrets, he was asked after the final. A weary figure, denuded of his usual, confident body language, McCullum replied: “I think it’s just cricket."

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Published: 30 Mar 2015, 01:24 AM IST
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