India and New Zealand have faced each other nine times in the ODI World Cup. Of these, the Men In Blue managed three victories while New Zealand emerged triumphant five times. One of the encounters between the two was abandoned.
When they lock horns in the 2023 edition of the coveted tournament in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, it is a clash of the titans as India and New Zealand are the only undefeated teams in the tournament.
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Though bith sides have registered four wins in as many games, the Kiwis are sitting atop the points table on account of a better net run rate. A win at Dharmashala's HPCA Stadium will not only the victors closer to the semifinals but also establish them as the undisputed leaders of the tournament halfway down the line.
With Kane Williamson and Hardik Pandya nursing injuries, both teams are forced to make changes to their starting lineups. There are also reports about veteran Kiwis seamer Tim Southee, who had suffered a thumb injury, starting against the hosts.
From pitch report to dew factor and predicted lineups, here is everything you need to know about the high-stake ICC ODI World Cup 2023 clash.
India vs New Zealand World Cup match -- Pitch Report: The pitch is expected to favour pacers. The bowlers are likely to get good assistance in the initial stages of the game. Thus, the toss-winning captain is likely to opt to bowl first.
A key factor in Dharamshala could be the toss with the cold temperatures in the foothills of the Himalayas leading to an earlier onset of dew in the outfield. With dew playing a part, chasing under lights would be a wise choice.
"But you can't think much about it. Of course, you can make tactics and strategies according to that, but you have no guarantee that you will win the toss. So you have to plan for both."If you have to bowl in dew, then you have to make a few more runs. You have to play positively and give yourself a cushion," India head coach Rahul Dravid had said.
India vs New Zealand World Cup match -- Weather Forecast: The cloudy weather is expected to be favourable to the bowlers. Weak spells of showers have not been ruled out in Dharamshala on Sunday. According to reports, the initial periods of the game may witness a brief downpour. The temperature is projected to be 18 degrees Celsius in the afternoon but is expected to drop down to 15 degrees Celsius.
India Playing XI (probable): Rohit Sharma(C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand Playing XI (probable): Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(WK/C), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Stay tuned to The Week for more updates.
