On this day in 2015: Australia win their 5th ODI World Cup title
29th March 2015 is a date that will be etched in the memories of Australian cricket fans. On this date, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the kangaroos thrashed the New Zealand side by 7 wickets to lift the coveted ODI World Cup trophy for a record 5th time.
On the day of the summit clash, the Kiwis won the toss and decided to bat first. The Black Caps were shattered early, as they lost their first 3 wickets with just 39 runs on the board. And then, there was a revival of sorts, as veteran Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott forged a defiant partnership of 111 runs for the 4th wicket. While Taylor scored a patient 72 ball 40, Elliott scored a blistering 83. However, after Taylor fell with the scorecard reading 150, the Kiwi batting line up collapsed. New Zealand lost their last 6 wickets for the addition of just 33 runs and were bundled out for a total of 183.
Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner scalped 6 wickets between them for the Aussies. In reply, even though Aaron Finch departed for a duck, David Warner and Steve Smith put on a 61-run partnership for the second wicket to steady the ship for the hosts. Warner scored a quick 45 before he was removed by Matt Henry.
Michael Clarke led from the front in the biggest stage in the ODI format. The Aussie skipper scored a match-winning 72 ball 74 and forged a partnership of 112 runs with Steve Smith for the third wicket. The kangaroos comfortably cantered past the target with 101 balls to spare and became the only team in history to win the ODI World Cup on 5 occasions. Smith scored a 71 ball 56*.
For his three-wicket haul, left-arm seamer James Faulkner was awarded the Man of the Match award in the summit clash. Michael Clarke retired from the ODI format after leading his side to victory in the 2015 World Cup final.
