Australia will lock horns with New Zealand in the 27th match of the Men’s World Cup ODI in Dharamshala on Saturday, 28th October. Australia have managed to turn their fortunes around with three wins on the trot following two initial defeats in the tournament. New Zealand are having a great campaign with four consecutive wins and a defeat in five matches thus far. Their only defeat came against India, ending their unbeaten streak. Australia are currently in the fourth spot with 6 points while New Zealand are in the third position on the points table.
In the Men’s World Cup ODI, Australia and New Zealand have faced off against each other 11 times since 1987. Out of these 11 games, Australia have won 8 whereas the Black Caps emerged victorious on three occasions. Their last encounter in the tournament was in 2019 when Australia defeated New Zealand by 86 runs. The upcoming match is expected to produce thrill and excitement as Australia will look to continue their winning streak while New Zealand will hope to bounce back from the defeat in the previous match.
Players To Watch Out For
1. D Warner: David Warner displayed his fiery batting in the last couple of matches, indicating his return to vintage form. In the match against Pakistan, the 37-year-old scored a brilliant 163 off 124 balls. This was followed by another scintillating knock of 104 off 93 balls against Netherlands. With this, Warner moved to the 3rd spot on the chart of leading run-scorers in the tournament, with 332 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 66.40 in five matches. Warner’s return to form is a big positive as Australia are pushing their hopes alive to qualify for the semi-finals. D Warner will look to continue his sublime form in this Men’s World Cup ODI, which is his swansong
2. D Mitchell: D Mitchell is in fine form in this edition of the Men’s World Cup ODI. In the previous match against India, the 32-year-old scored 130 off 127 balls to post a good total of 273 for the Black Caps. However, his knock went in pain. Mitchell is currently the second-leading run-scorer for New Zealand, aggregating 268 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 89.33 in five matches. D Mitchell is an attacking batsman in the middle order who can anchor the innings and pull the strings in clutch situations. New Zealand is expected to rely on D Mitchell alongside T Latham and G Phillips in the middle against Australia.
3. A Zampa: After taking only one wicket in the first two matches of the Men’s World Cup ODI, A Zampa roared back with his brilliant bowling in the three matches. The 31-year-old consecutively scalped four wickets each against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Netherlands. Zampa is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, scalping 13 wickets, including three four-wicket hauls, at an average of 17.76 and an economy rate of 5.92 in five matches. Zampa has the ability to different variations which makes any batsman unplayable against his spin bowling. Zampa is one of the reliable bowlers for Australia in the middle overs. A Zampa will look to produce an impactful performance with the ball against New Zealand.
4. M Santner: M Santner is leading the revival of orthodox spinners in the Men’s World Cup ODI. The 31-year-old has been one of the toughest bowlers to face for batsmen in the tournament. His experience in the Indian Cricket League has helped him to get familiar with the Indian conditions. In the previous match against India, Santner scalped a wicket while conceding just 37 runs at an economy rate of 3.7 in his quote of 10 overs. Santner is currently the second leading wicket-taker with 12 wickets, including a five-wicket, at an average of 16.91 and an economy rate of 4.25 in five matches so far. He is the most economical bowler among spinners in this edition of the Men’s World Cup ODI. Santer is expected to pose a threat to Australia’s batting line-up.
5. M Starc: M Starc is the leading pace attack of Australia in the Men’s World Cup ODI. The 33-year-old is having a decent outing in the tournament, scalping seven wickets at an average of 30.57 and an economy rate of 5.48 in five matches. Starc is currently the joint-third highest wicket-taker in the tournament, scalping 56 wickets from 54 matches. He has been quite an impactful bowler for Australia with the new ball and his ability to swing the ball both ways has often left the batsmen unplayable. M Starc will look to better his game from the previous match and will pose a big threat to New Zealand’s batting line-up.
Predicted Playing XI
AUS: D Warner, M Marsh, S Smith, M Labuschagne, A Carey (WK), T Head, G Maxwell, P Cummins (C), M Starc, A Zampa, J Hazlewood
NZ: D Conway (WK), W Young, R Ravindra, D Mitchell, T Latham, G Phillips, J Neesham, M Santner, T Southee, L Ferguson T Boult,
Fantasy Playing XI Picks
Wicketkeeper: T Latham
Batsmen: D Conway, D Warner (C), T Head, D Mitchell
All-rounders: R Ravindra, G Maxwell
Bowlers: M Santner, M Starc, A Zampa, T Boult
Prediction
New Zealand is expected to win against Australia in the upcoming match. They seem to be familiar with the conditions in Dharamshala while playing against India in their last game. The Black Caps have an edge over Australia in terms of strength in the middle order of the batting line-up. On the Dharamshala pitch, New Zealand will look to restrict Australia below 250 if they bowl first. However, the contest is expected to witness a thrilling display of cricket from two cricketing giants.
