New Zealand leads India 5-2 in head to head Cricket World Cup Matches
New Zealand is going to face India in Dharamshala in what is expected to be a cracking contest between two undefeated sides in the tournament. One thing is certain: by the end of that match, only one team will remain unbeaten at the Cricket World Cup 2023.
India started its World Cup campaign with an emphatic win over Australia. Then they defeated Afghanistan, Pakistan, and on Thursday evening, chase master Virat Kohli brought his first century of the tournament as India quite one-sidedly chased down the 257-run target posted by Bangladesh.
New Zealand’s journey in this World Cup has been no less inspiring. They started their tournament with a memorable win over England in Ahmedabad, which was much needed because the world champions had dominated the Blackcaps in recent matches.
READ MORE
Lockie Ferguson Playing Crucial Role for New Zealand at WC
Then New Zealand, playing almost to perfection, beat Netherlands and Bangladesh convincingly. They are a professional side, hardly succumbing under pressure and always up to the task to stay competitive in the game. They had some hiccups against Afghanistan, but the recovery by Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips was truly remarkable.
India’s batting has found it easy because their bowlers have done a great job. The case is the opposing side has failed to put up a competitive score on the board. Half of the job seems to already be done because as a batting unit, India doesn’t feel the need to take risks. There is no extra job to do, and that’s why India’s middle-order is yet to be tested.
Can New Zealand go past India’s top 4?
Looking at past history, New Zealand bowlers, particularly Trent Boult, have an edge over India’s top order. New Zealand has one of the best, if not the best, bowling attacks in the tournament. On their day, they can make anyone’s life tough because of two big reasons.
A) New Zealand is so strong in respect to their fielding, particularly in the first 10 overs. With Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra inside 30 yards, every single is a threat, and that builds psychological pressure on the batting unit.
B) Both Trent Boult and Matt Henry are supremely disciplined. They are going to target the wicket and the corridor of uncertainty for as long as they can. The good thing about these two bowlers is that they have as much trust in their bowling as batters have in their game.
No backing down from either side. Rohit and Shubman like to play their shots, so that will be seen as an opportunity by these two bowlers. Mitchell Santner is doing his job as best as he can. There will be no escape for either side. The batting challenge will be met by an equally strong bowling challenge.
Will India’s spinners dominate New Zealand?
Against Afghanistan, a slight weakness of New Zealand became visible as they struggled against the talented Afghanistani spinners. India has two experienced and skilled spinners who haven’t been taken down by any side yet. Kane Williamson’s presence would have given a big boost in such a big match.
It is going to be a big challenge for both India and New Zealand. If Devon Conway bats for a longer period, then he won’t shy away from taking on Ravindra Jadeja, whom he must have played against a lot in the nets for Chennai Super Kings. Then there are Rachin Ravindra and Tom Latham, both good batters against spinners, capable of being aggressive and cautious at the same time.
With that being said, there will not be much spin in Dharamshala. Small boundaries where the ball flies to the stands. It is important to know that Kuldeep and Jadeja both prefer to operate together, and in any case, if one is put under pressure, the other will also feel a bit defensive.
Still, India has an edge over New Zealand coming into this match, which is one of the most exciting matches of the tournament. The last time these two teams met at the World Cup, India was left with heartbreaking misery. New Zealand is an entirely different side when it comes to World Cup matches.
