DUBAI: Twenty20 is all about momentum and the main role of the bowlers is to upset that momentum to ensure and guide their teams to victory.
Trent Boult and Adam Zampa have successfully achieved that by dismissing the rival batters and pushing their opponents on the backfoot time and again in this Twenty20 World Cup.
Australian leg-spinner Zampa is the second highest wicket-taker in this edition with 12 while he is closely followed by New Zealand left-arm pacer Boult with 11.
Their intriguing clash adds a sub-plot to the final to be held at the Dubai International Stadium today. In fact, they are more than capable of providing the twist in the outcome of the tale, but a good spell and extra wickets will help them close in on the leader Wanindu Hasaranga, who tops the table with 16 wickets.
However, Boult, who was off colour in the semi-finals against England in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, will be eager to prove that it was just a blip and nothing to do with his skills or talent. Certainly not. One bad match cannot undermine the left-arm pacers’ wonderful efforts over the years, where he has been the trusted general of skipper Kane Williamson.
On the other hand, Zampa is entering the final on a high after a brilliant spell at the crucial stage against Pakistan. The Australian leg-spinner takes control of the middle overs and has an economy rate of 5.69 on the UAE wickets.
Zampa’s form adds more teeth to the potent Australian bowling attack that has Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. In the warm-up match between the two teams before the tournament, Zampa had taken out Williamson and Martin Guptill in his spell of 2/17 in four overs.
World-class bowler “Adam Zampa is a worldclass bowler. One of the top in the world and complimented nicely by obviously some of the top seamers in the world.
As a side, they have got a lot of match winners. I think that’s a large part of the strength in their team throughout. For us, we want to bring our focus to the cricket that we want to play and make sure that that’s the most important thing. Go out there and enjoy the occasion and take it on in our style.”
We will have to wait to see who will be able to reproduce the magic in the final, but certainly Williamson has made up his plan to counter Zampa.
