For one thing, he took the place expected to go to Jimmy Neesham, and for another, Elliott just didn't seem that smart a pick. That is, there were others who might have been rated ahead of him in the pecking order.
But how wrong they were.
Elliott has now batted twice at the MCG in ODIs, for scores of 61 not out and now 83.
That first effort was a fine performance in February 2009 which steered New Zealand to a six-wicket win.
The recall for the Cup squad represented a type of third birth for Elliott, international cricketer.
The first ended in December 2010, at which point the player now known as the hairy javelin dropped out of the international game until January 2013. Then he played 14 games through 2013 before again being dispatched.
Come World Cup naming time and he was back.
It may be a strong performance in helping Wellington win the domestic Georgie Pie T20 competition - and advance to the Champions League later this year - helped his case for a recall, too.
Most likely Elliott was given a heads-up that he was certainly in the wider frame. Show us what you can do in the T20.
Elliott responded with 43 off 24 balls against Otago, 52 off 23 against Canterbury, then, most tellingly, 40 from 17 balls in the final against Auckland. Strike rate? 152.
The selectors clearly liked what they saw, and saw a specific role for him.
After a wobbly first innings at Christchurch against Sri Lanka in the warm-up ODI series, Elliott found his feet and his 104 not out at Dunedin was part of a world record sixth wicket stand of 267 with Luke Ronchi.
Now fast forward to the semifinal against South Africa, his finest hour, when he slammed Dale Steyn into the crowd for a match-winning six with a ball to spare.
Yesterday he was, by a mile, the most composed New Zealand batsman. He steered singles, lofted drives over cover, top-edged a six and, without actually threatening to rip the Australian attack apart, he presented the calmest of demeanours and clear sense of organisation.
Elliott had a life on 15 when given out lbw off spinner Glenn Maxwell. The referral showed the ball sliding well past off stump.
He stood his ground when gobby Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was mouthing off. As he gave Martin Guptill a spray upon his admittedly soft dismissal, you thought of all the weasel words when Philip Hughes died about Australia pulling their socks up.
He oversaw a 111-run fifth wicket stand with Ross Taylor, who, although battling for form, scrapped hard.
But three wickets for one in eight balls at the start of the power play seriously undercut New Zealand's modest ambitions.
Enlarge that to the last six wickets falling for just 33 in 10 overs and it was a grim 45 minutes.
Elliott deserved a century. He came up 17 shy - having scored at a run a ball - caught behind and sent on his way with another dose of the verbals.
Australia throttled New Zealand early. Take out Elliott and there was little New Zealand were able to do about it.
