New Zealand, try as they might, have always been the poorer cousins, looking up at the "mighty" Australia dominate world cricket for many a year. This ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, though, a new New Zealand has arisen, one with aggression and attacking ability to topple any team in the world.
Eight matches the Black Caps have played, and eight matches the Black Caps have won. But all those wins will mean little if they don't win their ninth at this World Cup – the final against Australia at the MCG on Sunday.
"This is the ultimate game for us to be able to play," said New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, who has led by example with aggressive, exciting cricket, the kind of cricket that has seen most neutrals support them.
"Everyone is excited about it, I'm sure some guys will be nervous tomorrow morning, but it certainly whets the appetites. It's the greatest stage we can ask for."
Australia, of course, have been at this stage plenty of times in the past and recent past at that. Including this final, Australia have been in the summit match of five of the last six World Cups, having won three of them, and with a home crowd to back them up and experience of playing in the big stage, they will back themselves to make it four World Cup wins out of the last five.
To stop Australia from doing that, New Zealand need to play that relentlessly aggressive cricket one more time; shatter Michael Clarke and his team's confidence and take advantage of even the slightest of doubts creeping amongst the team in green and gold.
"We need to play like that [with an attacking mindset], that's how we're going to beat teams on regular occasions," added McCullum, who has set the kind of fields at this World Cup most teams would not even bother with in Test matches. "We're not afraid of losing.
"For us, we think about what we can achieve. That's not always going to work and there are going to be times when we come out on the wrong side of it. But that gives us our greatest chance of success against big opposition teams on a regular basis."
Australia will know they are playing the match they expected to be playing come the start of the tournament. With a pace bowling attack the envy of every team and a batting lineup longer than a Karan Johar movie, Australia have a team made for the title.
Having said that, though, there are a few chinks in the armoury, chief of them being the fourth and fifth bowlers, while pressure can trip up even the strongest of teams. That pressure told for Australia when they played New Zealand in Auckland in a Pool A match, but they will also know playing a group game at Eden Park is completely different from playing a World Cup final in one of the most iconic cricket grounds in the world.
New Zealand have not played a single match outside their country at this World Cup, and how they cope with that sudden transformation will have a huge bearing on the result.
Australia have a really good bating lineup and a fearful bowling attack; New Zealand have a potent bowling attack, much more well-rounded with Daniel Vettori, while their batting can be destructive and composed in equal measure.
If two teams have reached a World Cup final, there will usually be very little to separate them, and at the end of the day the team that stand up on that podium with the trophy in their hands will be the side that handle the pressure situations better. Sunday will be no different.
Where to Watch Live
Get the Live Blog and Updates of the Match HERE
The big game – the CWC Australia vs New Zealand final – is scheduled for a 2.30 pm local time (9 am IST, 3.30 am GMT, 11.30 pm ET) start. Live coverage in India will be provided by Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD1, Star Sports HD3, Asianet Movies, Jalsha Movies and Suvarna Plus. Audience watching the final in India can also catch the match via live streaming online on Starsports.com and Star Sports Live Pro.
Catch the match live in Australia on Channel 9 and Fox Sports, with the option to live stream on Cricket Australia Live and Foxtel. Viewers in Australia can also download the Cricket Australia Live App if they feel the need to watch the finale live on their mobile or tablet.
Viewers in New Zealand can watch their team face off against Australia live on TV on Sky Sport, while the match can also be live streamed online on Sky Go NZ.
Audience in the US can catch the match live on ESPN and live online on ESPN Cricket, while Middle East viewers can watch all the action live on OSN or OSN Play. Viewers in the UK can catch Aus vs NZ Live on Sky Sports 2 or via live streaming online on Sky Go and Watch Sky Sports.
