Cricket World Cup Final 2015: Highlights, Top Plays from Australia v New Zealand

Six weeks after the start of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, co-hosts Australia (186/3) beat rivals New Zealand (183) in a one-sided final in Melbourne on Sunday, avenging their group-stage loss with a seven-wicket win to lift the trophy.

The Baggy Greens were among the strong favourites to win the tournament from the start, and playing in front of over 90,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the home side came up big when they needed it the most.

New Zealand were perhaps the most aggressive team of the entire World Cup, and ultimately, it cost them in the final. Let's look at some of the biggest moments from Sunday's match, along with video highlights.

Mitchell Starc Bowls Brendon McCullum for Duck

Brendon McCullum doesn't play around. Whether it's the final of the World Cup or a low-key Twenty20 match, the New Zealand skipper plays the game at one speed, always looking for the boundary and the big shot.

Throughout the 2015 World Cup, it served him well. And on Sunday, it didn't. On the third delivery of the day, Mitchell Starc fired in a fantastic ball, and McCullum was gone. As far as momentum goes, taking out the opposing team's captain for no runs counts.

ESPN Cricinfo's Freddie Wilde noticed plenty of fans were unhappy with McCullum, and he disagreed with their assessment:

You can't fault the veteran for playing the game the way he always does. As an opener, his energy and the sheer pace at which he sometimes racks up the runs is pivotal for the Black Caps. And occasionally, he'll lose his wicket well before people would have wanted. That's just how he, and the Black Caps as a whole, play the game.

The skipper was graceful in defeat and very complimentary of the winners after the match, showing one thing: He understands the risks his playing style carries every time he steps into the crease, and he's prepared to live with the consequences, per the tournament's official Twitter account:

The match wasn't won or lost on the third delivery, but it gave the Aussie bowlers the confidence needed to go after New Zealand's batsmen early. Martin Guptil and Kane Williamson would combine for just 27, before Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot finally got a solid partnership going.

Aaron Finch Suffers Similar Fate

Starc and Mitchell Johnson had combined for five wickets, limiting New Zealand's vaunted group of batsmen to just 183 runs. Things were going well for the Baggy Greens, but as they saw during their group-stage clash, their rivals' bowling is just as deadly as theirs.

And then Trent Boult did this, per the ICC's Twitter account:

Suddenly, Australia's advantage didn't seem all that great. Boult, Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori were licking their chops, ready to chase wickets the same way they did during the first meeting between both teams when Australia batted first and hardly put any runs on the board.

Back to Wilde, who reminded fans that in spite of all the changes made to accommodate batsmen, bowling still wins you championships:

Ultimately, Finch's wicket meant very little, but at the time, it gave the Black Caps some much-needed confidence.

Michael Clarke Retires in Style, Dedicates Win to Philip Hughes

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Where to start? Michael Clarke, the Aussie captain, retired from ODI cricket in the best possible way, guiding his team to a World Cup win and contributing 74 runs in the final, the highest for the Baggy Greens.

Bleacher Report UK confirmed the news he'd be walking away from the ODI format:

Predictably, praise started pouring in for the brilliant captain and his fine performance. Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara is perhaps better placed to judge a fellow player than any of us, and he didn't understate what Clarke has accomplished in the past few years:

The images of the Australian team celebrating were almost perfect, but something was missing. Some players looked at the sky as the team poured onto the pitch. A couple even raised their bats. Everyone inside the MCG understood.

And when Clarke dedicated the win to Philip Hughes, the talented batsman who died in a freak accident on the pitch late in 2014, there was not a dry eye inside the ground:

Guiding your team to a World Cup win is difficult enough as it is—doing it in the wake of such a tragedy is something few coaches in the world could ever accomplish.

Australia's future is very bright, with Starc quickly establishing himself as one of the best ODI bowlers in the world, but replacing Clarke will be an enormous task for the Baggy Greens.

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo. 

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