Teams losing a cricket match on boundary count is stuff you hear in gully cricket. Imagine having to go through that pain in a World Cup final, after having done all the hard yards for 101 overs! New Zealand went through that pain, not once but twice in a matter of 30 minutes. Those scars are still fresh.
New Zealand, the rotten-on-luck runners-up from 2019 and defending champions England, will clash again on Thursday, in what can be termed as a grudge match to kick start the 2023 Cricket World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The defending champions, who have redefined ODI cricket ever since their 2015 debacle in Australia would look to continue with their "Bazball" style of ultra-aggressive strokeplay. Having won seven out of their last ten limited-over games, the Englishmen are second on the bookies list of favourites to win the tournament.
However, the team comes into the World Cup only as the fifth ranked ODI side. While their practice game against India was washed out without a ball being bowled, they won another rain-affected contest against Bangladesh by four wickets.
On the other hand, after having been on the wrong side of fate in successive World Cup finals, New Zealand would aspire to be third-time lucky. However, form has not been their friend as the blackcaps have lost six out of their last ten ODIs and are also plagued by injury concerns, particularly to their talismanic captain, Kane Williamson.
Although Williamson has made a remarkable recovery from the knee injury he sufferred during the IPL, he will not be available for the opening encounter. In his absence, Tom Latham will be leading the side.
With their best batsman out of the fixture, New Zealand will be looking for early wickets, especially against a marauding England batting lineup. The Southee-Boult duo will look to capitalise on some early swing with the new ball. Boult, who has picked 39 wickets across the World Cups he has played, will look to have some English right-handers in some discomfort with his swinging ball.
A trump card though, could be Mitchell Santner, whose left-arm orthodox with tight lines can be a handful if the Ahmedabad pitch offers some purchase to the tweakers.
England have their own spin twins in Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid to take advantage of the conditions on offer. On the batting front, with Jason Roy out, Dawid Malan will partner Jonny Bairstow at the top of the order, followed by power hitters like Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone and skipper Jos Buttler.
All eyes will be on 2019's World Cup hero Ben Stokes, who was coaxed out of retirement by captain Buttler for this tournament and he would love to have at least some, if not all the luck that he enjoyed during the final four years ago if England have to go the distance.
We are all set for action to begin and we hope you are as well!
(Edited by : Hormaz Fatakia)
First Published: Oct 4, 2023 3:49 PM IST
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