Shades of KP in Finn Allen's masterclass

"I watched him growing up and I loved his style of play and the way he took on the game," Allen told reporters.

"He was the one for me."

There was more than a little bit of KP about Allen's performance at the top of the order against Australia at the SCG.

And there needed to be; it was going to take a man with Pietersen-like confidence to neutralise the defending champions' bowling attack on their home deck.

Belting Mitchell Starc for 14 runs in the first over, Allen showed he was that man and took no prisoners from there.

Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, none was safe from Allen's opening partnership with Devon Conway, which set the tone for an 89-run thrashing.

"I guess it's a bit of an addictive feeling," Allen said of smacking the Aussies around.

"They're an intimidating bowling attack to come up against but I was just trying to play the ball instead of the bowler. 

"That's what I always try to do, treat everyone the same in that respect."

New Zealand coach Gary Stead only told Allen he'd be playing in Sydney the night before the game, chosen ahead of New Zealand's most-capped T20 player Martin Guptill.

But with his process clear and the team behind him, there were no nerves for Allen.

"Having a pretty clear role in what I want to do and how I want to go about my innings, that definitely helps," he said

"I try to keep it as simple as I can. The more I think, the more things start to go wrong.

"Everyone is really good in having trust in me I guess. It's really helpful."

By the time Allen was dismissed in the fifth over for 42 runs, he had laid the groundwork for a record-breaking win and won Conway's admiration.

"It was a special knock for him," said Conway, who took control of the batting order after Allen was dismissed.

"The way he was out in the middle: Nice and calm but focused at the same time.

"He hit the ball really cleanly and he put the bowlers under some serious pressure. It was a fantastic way to start the tournament."