India’s World Cup journey takes a fresh start without the valuable presence of Hardik Pandya as they prepare to take on New Zealand in a crucial clash on Sunday.
Pandya’s untimely ankle injury has dealt a blow to the formidable Indian squad just ahead of their highly-anticipated encounter with New Zealand, who harbor aspirations of clinching their first-ever World Cup title. Meanwhile, India is determined to end their prolonged trophy drought in ICC tournaments.
The history of ODI World Cup clashes between India and New Zealand reveals a competitive rivalry. These two cricketing powerhouses have crossed paths on nine occasions. India has emerged victorious in three of these encounters, while New Zealand has celebrated success five times, with one match ending in abandonment.
Both teams have displayed remarkable form in the current tournament, remaining unbeaten with four wins each. New Zealand, however, holds the top spot on the points table, thanks to their superior net run rate.
Venue and pitch conditionsThe HPCA stadium in Dharamshala adds an intriguing dimension to this fixture. Among all the venues in this ODI World Cup, it stands out as a place that challenges batsmen, especially at the start of the innings. The pitch offers assistance to pacemen both in the afternoon and the evening.So far, three ODI World Cup matches have been played here, with two of them being day games. The day-night encounter witnessed Netherlands pulling off a surprising victory over South Africa in a rain-affected match. Given the unpredictable nature of this pitch, the team winning the toss may opt to field first to make the most of the early conditions.
Injury updates and probable lineups
India faced a setback when all-rounder Hardik Pandya sustained an ankle injury during the match against Bangladesh, ruling him out of this crucial encounter. Ishan Kishan had an unexpected encounter with a honey bee during practice, and Suryakumar Yadav, the likely replacement for Pandya, was struck on the forearm during training.
On the New Zealand side, regular captain Kane Williamson is still recuperating from a thumb fracture he suffered in the match against Bangladesh. Stand-in captain Tom Latham has confirmed that paceman Tim Southee will be available for the match.
Likely Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry.
Players to watch
Batters: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Tom Latham, Devon Conway. All-rounders: Rachin Ravindra. Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Trent Boult, Matt Henry.
India vs. New Zealand: Head-to-Head record
New Zealand holds a significant edge over India in ICC ODI World Cup matches, having not lost to them since 2003, with a 5-3 head-to-head record in completed matches. The last time these two teams met in an ODI World Cup, New Zealand emerged victorious, defeating India by 18 runs in the 2019 semifinal in Manchester.
Where to watch on TV?
Television viewers in India can catch the India vs. New Zealand clash on the Star Sports Network.
Where to watch online?
For those watching on smart TVs, laptops, and smartphones, the 2023 ODI World Cup will be streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar app. Smartphone users can enjoy the matches for free on the app, while other devices will require a Disney+Hotstar subscription.
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