Australia’s hero in the final of the 2015 ODI World Cup against New Zealand, James Faulkner said that winning the coveted trophy was ten times better than becoming the Man of the Match in the finale.
Notably, Faulkner was named the Player of the Match in the final for running through New Zealand’s middle order after Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Glenn Maxwell set the tone by reducing the Kiwis to 39 for 3.
“Winning the World Cup was 10 times better than winning Player of the Match,” said Faulkner as quoted by ICC.
Getting an invitation to field first, the Australian bowlers wreaked havoc on the Kiwi batters in the final match of the 2015 World Cup and bundled them out for mere 183. Johnson and Faulkner claimed three wickets apiece, while Starc, the Man of the Tournament, scalped two.
The paltry target didn’t trouble the Aussies and they eased past New Zealand with seven wickets in hand and as many as 101 balls to spare, courtesy the then skipper Michael Clarke (74) and Smith (56*).
Walking down the memory lane, Faulkner recalled that lifting the coveted trophy was surreal.
“When we received the trophy and Pup (Michael Clarke) lifted it up on stage: unreal, awesome. The walk around the ground as well, seeing friends and family, I was seeing people who’d bought tickets I hadn’t seen for years, it was surreal,” said the left-arm pacer.