On Thursday Michael Clarke had a significant early success by winning the toss and batting first on a pitch having its second outing inside a fortnight.

It is difficult to believe that the World Cup semi-final could be played on a retread at a venue such as the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The first use resulted in the high-scoring Australia-Sri Lanka quarter final as even bounce, medium pace and little spin provided the ingredients for a run spree. Perhaps only Dinesh Chandimal's injury prevented Sri Lanka from chasing down 375.

The second instalment was drier, slower, abrasive for reverse swing and reminiscent of some pitches of the 1980s when batting second brought with it a serious handicap.

Scoring was more difficult on the semi-final pitch compared to most others in the entire tournament, especially Eden Park, which has provided the perfect storm for bowlers of all denominations.

The Black Caps have had the luxury of playing every preliminary match on home soil and home boundaries.

Sunday's challenge is multifaceted although the MCG surface has behaved much like Eden Park. Unlike generations of slow, low Kiwi pitches the revamp of Auckland's premier sports venue has produced a pitch of pace and bounce and a barrage of pace bowlers to use it.

They will not require much adapting to the lengths that will be effective in the final and the success of the fast men will once again determine the outcome as in their previous meeting. The narrowest margin separated the teams last time they met for Australia's only loss of the tournament.

In the semi-final, new-ball breakthroughs were seen as key to limiting totals and it was India who won the opening overs but the Australians who fought back through the middle ones.

Once the breakthrough was achieved Clarke had several fast bowling options to call on.

Mitchell Starc failed for once to get a wicket in his first spell but came back with a tight and penetrating line that MS Dhoni could not decipher.

The pitch lacked grass and therefore lacked pace; it was up to the bowlers to bend their backs and generate their own.  Mitchell Johnson was having a modest series but proved he could still be a match-winner with some important wickets.

Clarke will be smiling inside with the knowledge that all of his fast men have peaked at the perfect moment. Only Shane Watson looks vulnerable but Clarke only has to get 10 overs out of him and Glenn Maxwell. A nice problem to have as they are both full-time all-rounders.

New Zealand will plan to target those two but there aren't many easy runs coming from the other four. Brendon McCullum targets everybody.

The MCG pitches during this tournament have been even-paced, the spinners have struggled and quicks have done most of the damage with an ally of bounce.

The game plan needs little alteration for either team.

They have plenty of ammunition to let loose. Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne (if fit) and the new boy Matt Henry, plus the mystic Daniel Vettori against Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Johnson, James Faulkner and support staff makes for a quality contest.

The Kiwi bowlers have benefited from the ball swinging late in the innings on home grounds and the swing appeared to be  "normal" or new-ball swing as the pitches were not very abrasive.

The Australians, especially Starc, have been difficult to dominate in the death overs because of their use of old-ball or reverse swing.

Grassy decks, even if the grass is brown and dead, helps keep the natural shine on the ball. The nature of this final pitch will play a key role in the effectiveness of the seam bowlers.

The issue of the dimensions of Eden Park as compared to the Melbourne Cricket Ground is not moot.

There will be some distances on the MCG that will be almost twice as long as Eden Park. McCullum's ferocity will not be tempered by 90-metre hits.

I can't see him changing anything about his approach to combating fast bowling but the mis-hits that were upsetting hot dogs in the hospitality boxes in Auckland may be falling into Australian hands in Melbourne.

Australia boast a deep batting order, all of whom can all score quickly. It is a luxury to have Faulkner coming in anywhere from six to nine.

Brad Haddin, the batting saviour of the Ashes and a former ODI opener, is hardly getting a hit these days. The Kiwis are almost as well-equipped.

Corey Anderson was outstanding under pressure in the semi and Grant Elliot the matchwinner. Luke Ronchi is the Haddin mirror.

New Zealand will be fortified with the knowledge that they don't rely on McCullum and Kane Williamson and they can win from almost anywhere, something that didn't come to mind when India were chasing 10 an over with five wickets down in the semi-final.

The match-ups and match-winners from both teams are characterised by aggression, and these teams have made the final by being the most aggressive at batting and bowling.

The short ball will be bowled and the batsmen will take on the challenge.  Running between the wickets will be aggressive and New Zealand's batsmen will have to look to take twos and threes in the acres of the MCG rather than rely on boundary hitting alone.

A plan that includes being the busiest team may well be helpful.

Imagine a World Cup final that comes down to the 100th over with the Starc yorker coming up against the McCullum cavalry charge!  I'm not sure who would win that one but it will be worth watching.

My tip for the final is an Australian win because they are on home territory but there won't be much in it.

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