High-voltage showdown looms in World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand

Australia's standing as the world's best one-day team is on the line against a bold New Zealand who have vowed to maintain the high-voltage style that  has taken them to within one victory of a fairytale World Cup triumph.

After spending the summer hammering a conservative India, Australia must overcome a team moulded in their image and who also plays by the mantra of who dares wins.

Attacking cricket is the trademark of any Michael Clarke-led team but seldom has the Australian captain encountered an opposing skipper, such as Brendon McCullum, as prepared to risk defeat to chase glory.

The Kiwi way is in contrast to the risk-averse strategies deployed by India and England, teams that  Australia have belted over the past two summers.

There has been a large degree of pragmatism in the way New Zealand have played in the past, but the humiliation of being blown away for 45 in Cape Town in the first week of 2013 forced a dramatic rethink by the Black Caps.

The result is a squad that the great Richard Hadlee has described as the finest his country has assembled for a World Cup.

"Too much aggression? I don't think so," said McCullum, who spent Friday night at the Moonee Valley races, an apt setting for a man who loves a punt on the track as much as he does when pulling the reins on the field.

"For us we need to play like that, that's how we're going to beat teams on regular occasions. We're not afraid of losing.

"We think about what we can achieve. That's not always going to work and there are going to be times when we come out on the wrong side of it. But that gives us our greatest chance of success against big opposition teams on a regular basis.

"So we'll continue to play like that and develop a sense of fearlessness about you, and also develops a real can-do attitude as well, which I think we've seen.

"And even boil it down to that last game that we were able to achieve very much because of that attitude, I think," McCullum said.

The Australians under Darren Lehmann have held the belief that whoever plays the most aggressive cricket at key moments usually wins. In New Zealand, they will meet their match.

"There is no challenge which is insurmountable," McCullum said.

Nor will McCullum change his electrifying game with the bat, despite the prize at stake.

"It would be a bit silly to change, wouldn't it? We'll have a go. We'll step up and we'll try to be as good as we've been throughout this tournament," he said.

"So to try to play like anyone else is foolish.

"We'll play an aggressive brand of cricket with bat and ball in the field. We'll play with the humility which we've played with throughout this campaign as well. And hopefully the big fella upstairs shines on us when the pressure situations comes into play."

There is a quiet confidence in the Australian camp, despite the narrow loss in the group stage. If anything, it has emboldened the Australians that they could nearly win after batting so poorly.

"I believe if we play our best, we can beat New Zealand," Clarke said.

"I don't buy into the favourites or not favourites. New Zealand have been the form team of the competition. New Zealand have beaten us once in this tournament. But I'm confident if we play our best, we can beat them tomorrow."

Graphic