Five-time champions Australia will take on New Zealand in match 27 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The match will be played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday. Australia found themselves in trouble early in the tournament with two consecutive defeats early in the tournament, but are now on course with three big wins in a row. It all started with a hard-fought win against Sri Lanka, where they had their moments of struggle but came out triumphant.
They followed it up with a blistering batting performance against Pakistan and the Netherlands. David Warner scored centuries in both matches to put Australia in control, while Mitchell Marsh scored his second ODI ton against Pakistan and Glenn Maxwell broke the record for the fastest century in World Cup cricket against the Netherlands.
Australia’s 309-run win against the Netherlands is now the biggest win in World Cup history and the second-biggest win of all time in the format. This also increased their net run rate significantly and in pursuit of a top four spot, the Aussies are currently in a very good position.
New Zealand’s incredible start to the tournament was slowed by a defeat to hosts India in Dharamsala. Now the Kiwis have a chance to fight back and return to victory at the same venue, but the path won’t be smooth sailing. So far, New Zealand has recorded four wins: against England, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Here is our predicted Australia XI for this Trans-Tasman encounter
Openers: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh
David Warner is among the leading run-scorers in the ongoing tournament, scoring 332 runs in five matches. This tally includes two centuries, achieved in the last two matches. He also has an impressive strike rate of 109.93 which gives the team a solid start in the powerplay overs.
Mitchell Marsh has been a hit as an opener since taking over the job in the absence of Travis Head. However, he smashed a superb century against Pakistan in Bengaluru to take his run tally to 189 runs, including another half-century.
Middle order: Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are an ideal choice for the No. 3 and No. 4 positions, as both hitters have the ability to switch gears. Smith, despite having only a half-century in the tournament, has always been in good touch when he has come out to bat. Labuschagne scored 183 runs in five knocks and he also scored a half-century.
Josh Inglis has shown some destructive signs hitting in the lower midrange. Although he has only scored 90 points in four games so far, his attacking intent is exactly what the team needs from him.
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis
Glenn Maxwell produced some top performances with the ball, making excellent use of India’s slow conditions. Against the Netherlands, however, he unleashed his ultimate best by smashing a 40-ball century after coming into bat in the 40th over. He has contributed 155 runs so far at a strike-rate of 143.51 and picked up three wickets at an economy of 4.40.
Marcus Stoinis’ role after the losses to India and South Africa has been minimal, but the opposition will be wary of his power, especially with the bat. Stoinis has proven himself as a big-match player in the past and Australia will look to him for that one big contribution that usually comes at a crucial time.
Bowlers: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
Skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were not at their best during the ongoing tournament. Both bowlers took six wickets each and did not look threatening enough with the new ball, giving the opponents an early advantage. However, both are in the top three of the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers and are proven match winners.
Adam Zampa got off to a poor start but of late he has taken charge of their spin department, as was expected of him in these spinner-friendly conditions. He has collected 13 wickets at an average of 17.76 and an economy of just under six. Mitchell Starc, a bona fide World Cup star with 50+ in tournament history, added seven to his tally so far in India.
Australia’s predicted matchday XI
David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
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