Australian opener Aaron Finch says he never panicked during his lean spell in the middle of the World Cup, but was nevertheless pleased to have again contributed strongly to the team's cause.

The Victorian right-hander does not believe he played particularly well in his 81 against India in Thursday's semi-final, but after a dearth of runs since the opening game of the tournament six weeks ago, any runs are very welcome.

Finch, 28, played a far-from-cavalier knock at the SCG, with his runs coming from 116 balls. But in tandem with Steve Smith (105 from 93 balls), he built a platform upon which Australia could push to 328, and in turn a 95-run victory, and seventh World Cup final berth.

Having opened the event with 135 against England, Smith had made just 64 runs in five subsequent appearances at the crease, meaning this knock wastimely.

"Yeah it was nice," Finch said as the Australians arrived at Melbourne airport on Friday ahead of Sunday's final against New Zealand.

"It wasn't my best innings, I had to grind a little bit but I was fortunate to have Steve Smith at the other end. He sort of kept that partnership flowing while I was trying to grind it out and get down the other end."

Finch had said in the lead-up to the semi-final that he was batting well in the nets, and as such while frustrated, was not worried by his run drought. That take now seemed justified.

"I didn't feel like I was hitting the ball badly, I felt like I was hitting it nicely in the nets for the last couple of weeks so I wasn't overly worried about my form, it was just a case of getting in and getting through the initial new ball."

He added that a casual chat with West Indian great Brian Lara had been beneficial.

"We just sat down over a couple of beers and had a quiet chat. It was really nice. He's such a lovely bloke and loves the game of cricket, especially batting, so he's always a good guy to have a chat to every now and then."

There is a sense of things having gone full circle for Finch this tournament as he returns on Sunday to the venue of the his opening game onslaught. He was understandably excited to be playing the biggest game of his career at his domestic home ground.

"It's a place I love playing. I've played a lot of cricket there now and it's a pretty special place. When it's packed out, 100,000 people, it's going to be amazing. Not a better place to be."

Much has been made of the MCG's size when compared to the pint-size grounds at which the Black Caps have played their entire allotment of matches to date. While Finch suggested the Kiwis would acclimatise, he said the Australians would relish the chance to play at the largest stadium in international cricket,

"Cricketers play all around the world these days, so I think they'll be adaptable. But the MCG is a place we've had a lot of success at and we've played very well, so we're going to be very confident going into this game."

It will be 29 days on Sunday since NZ pipped Australia in a classic affair at Eden Park during the group stage. Finch said Australia had lifted its game since that sole defeat of the campaign.

"I think we've played a lot of cricket since then and we've had some success and I think as the tournament's gone on we're getting better and better, which is fantastic. I think when you look down our list, everyone's contributing, which is a huge factor."

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