New Zealand are set to resume their Trans-Tasman rivalry against Australia 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. New Zealand have had a great outing so far, apart from the one hiccup against India that led to their first defeat of the tournament. The Kiwis started strongly and completely defeated defending champions England thanks to centuries from Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra.
Since then, they have launched an undefeated run, beating Afghanistan, the Netherlands and Bangladesh. In their last match they had to face India where they faltered by a small margin and paid a heavy price. After Daryl Mitchell’s century took them to a respectable 273 runs in the first innings, their bowlers could not contain the Indian batters, who chased down the total in 48 overs.
They are still in a comfortable position to qualify for the semi-finals, but the side will be wary of the fact that their upcoming matches will only get more difficult. After the showdown with Australia, the Kiwis will take on South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Australia is the in-form team next to India in this tournament. They are on a three-match winning streak, which started with a good win against Sri Lanka and continued with a World Cup record 309 runs against Netherlands.
Openers: Devon Conway, Will Young
Devon Conway was on his way with a huge century in the opening match against England but has since become flat-footed. He hasn’t achieved a 50+ score in the last four matches, but with 249 runs at an average of 62.25, he still has impressive numbers to defend his place.
Will Young, currently in the XI due to Kane Williamson’s absence, is making his presence felt in the tournament. He has scored 141 runs in four innings at an average of 35.25 and this number includes two half-centuries. With Williamson’s return looking unlikely, a big blow in the coming matches could seal his position in the playing XI this entire tournament.
Middle order: Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips
Daryl Mitchell was one of the best batsmen at the ICC World Cup 2023. The aggressive middle-order batsman brought up his maiden World Cup century in the last match against India. He now has 268 runs in four innings, including a century and a half-century. He also bats at an impressive strike rate of 108.06.
Tom Latham, the stand-in skipper, registered two timely half-centuries and is a big presence in their batting line-up alongside Glenn Phillips. Both batters have already scored a number of crucial runs in the tournament, making their middle position stronger than before.
All-rounders: Rachin Ravindra, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner
Rachin Ravindra is having a great outing in his first World Cup appearance. He is New Zealand’s leading run-scorer in the tournament with 290 runs in five innings at an average of 72.50, including a century and two fifties. He has also taken three wickets with the ball.
James Neesham and Mitchell Santner’s responsibilities with the bat lie in the death overs and so far neither has been vociferously tested in that department. Neesham has played just one match, while Santner is the Kiwis’ leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 12 scalps to his name.
Bowlers: Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson were regularly among the wickets in the ongoing tournament. Henry is making incredible use of the Indian conditions, scalping ten wickets in five matches, while Ferguson’s extra pace has helped him on several occasions. Ferguson has collected eight wickets in four matches.
However, Trent Boult will remain Australia’s biggest threat. His only five-fer in the World Cup came against the Aussies in the 2015 group stage and he is inching closer to 50 wickets in the Cricket World Cup. In the 2023 edition, he has taken six wickets in five matches so far.
New Zealand predicted him to play as an XI
Devon Conway
Will Jong
Rachin Ravindra
Daryl Mitchell
Tom Latham (captain and wicketkeeper)
Glenn Phillips
James Neesham
Mitchell Santner
Matt Henry
Lockie Ferguson
Trent Boult
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