Melbourne: The World Cup final, in all probability, will witness a great battle between two of the best emerging pacers of the game: New Zealand’s Trent Boult and Australia’s Mitchell Starc. Their performances will also decide the best bowler of the tournament.
Boult, the New Zealand speedster, currently heads the bowlers’ list with 21 wickets from eight matches, while Starc is hot on his heels with 20 wickets from seven outings.
Starc is being hailed as the ‘Exterminator’, bowling around 150kmph. He exploits his height and pace to pick wickets, especially in breaking partnerships. One of the headlines in a local daily reads “Starc reality is that New Zealand will crash before him.”
Starc has picked at least two wickets in every match and his economy rate has been excellent. Former Australian pacer Brett Lee says about him: “If Starc is bowling massive yorkers with a brand new ball, it doesn’t matter what surface you’re playing on because the ball only hits the wicket on the crease line.”
Boult had played only 16 One Day Internationals before the tournament and was regarded as a Test specialist. “It was only a matter of time until he became a more permanent fixture in the one-day side, and he’s just grown another leg,” remarked his bowling partner Tim Southee on Friday.
“What he’s done over the last couple of months has been amazing. He just keeps getting better and better,” he added.
Australian skipper Michael Clarke has warned about the New Zealand pacers. “They’ve been able to swing the ball in New Zealand but even if it hasn’t swung, they’ve executed, they’ve bowled good areas,” he said.
Sunday’s battle is being labelled as Starc reality versus Boult from the blue. Interestingly, some fans here have coined a phrase ‘Australia will beat anyone black and blue and win the final,’ referring to India who were in blue and New Zealanders - known as Black Caps.
