World Cup 2019: England, New Zealand look for a final flourish

England's Joe Root (left), skipper Eoin Morgan (right) and Jonny Bairstow take part in a training session at Lordu00c3u0083u00c2u00a2u00c3u0082u00c2u0080u00c3u0082u00c2u0099s on Saturday. Pic /Getty Images

London: The two flags of the World Cup finalists have been hoisted at Lord's Cricket Ground as England and New Zealand gear up for the biggest prize in world cricket here today. Later tonight, we will know which flag will take centrestage.

Going by the trend of the last two World Cup finals, the hosts have been in an advantage zone. In 2011, India lifted the trophy at the Wankhede Stadium and Australia were crowned champions at Melbourne in 2015."

Will the trend continue for hosts England, who are in their fourth World Cup final? England skipper Eoin Morgan has a measured approach as cricket awaits a new world champion today. "I certainly feel pretty relaxed. It is nice to be home. We're going to enjoy the game regardless. We're going to try and take in as much as we can. It's a World Cup final, and we're not going to shy away from that. As long as anything doesn't affect performance, we're going to try and take it in," he said at a packed press conference on Saturday.

England have not been at their strongest at Lord's. In their last 10 ODIs here, the hosts have a 50 per cent win-loss record. England's only match at Lord's in this World Cup ended up in a losing cause - against their semi-final opponents Australia.

Given this England team's love for flat tracks, the conditions could pose problems for the hosts in the final. On match eve the pitch looked pretty green. Morgan,
however, said that the venue is not a high-scoring one anyway. "Lord's is not a high-scoring ground. From afar, it looks greener than it is. There isn't a lot of grass on the wicket. So, it probably exaggerates how it will look. I think it will look different. If the sun comes out for a few hours, it will look different. It will go whiter and burn it off," felt Morgan.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain tweeted that the groundsmen could cut the grass on the morning of the match. Just a few weeks ago, England were fighting to survive in the tournament. But the hosts have been unstoppable since their must-win game against India on June 30.
Morgan said the approach they took for that game has helped them reach the final. "It has helped us because it is actually about being more positive and aggressive, and being a bit smarter about how we play," he said.

Smart is exactly the way Morgan & Co would look to play today. Over to Lord's.

Live on tv

England v New Zealand:
Star Sports 1, SS 1 Hindi and DD Sports, 15:00

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