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England vs New Zealand. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 will begin on October 5, 2023. The opening match of the tournament will see defending champions England taking on New Zealand. The encounter will be hosted at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Two of the best teams in white-ball cricket will clash in front of over 132,000 fans to kick off the biggest extravaganza of cricket. England and New Zealand played a humdinger of a final in World Cup 2019 at Lord’s. And something similar will be expected when they clash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
There will be some big-name players on both sides and some matchups are mouth-watering for the fans to gorge on when these two teams face off.
Here are the 3 player battles to watch out for in the England vs. New Zealand ODI World Cup 2023 opener:
3. Moeen Ali vs. Tom Latham
Moeen Ali against Tom Latham will be a huge battle when England and New Zealand meet. Tom Latham will be captaining the New Zealand side as he confirmed that Kane Williamson will not be playing in the Cricket World Cup opener in Ahmedabad. On the other hand, Moeen Ali will look to make an impact in what can be his final World Cup tournament.
Moeen Ali has dismissed Latham three times in seven ODI innings. On the other hand, Tom Latham has scored 58 runs in 68 balls bowled by Moeen Ali. This proves that the battle between the two cricketers will be an interesting one. The Ahmedabad pitch is pretty batting-friendly and Latham will love batting on it. But Ali has experience bowling on that surface in IPL, probably holding the upper hand.
2. Mark Wood vs. Devon Conway
Mark Wood will now be playing an international ODI match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On the other hand, Devon Conway will also be playing his first ODI in Ahmedabad. However, both have played IPL matches at the venue with Conway being part of CSK’s IPL 2023 win in Ahmedabad.
This is expected to be the first battle between the two players. Conway is an exciting opener who has all the shots in his kitty and looks to maximize the powerplay overs. Mark Wood is the fastest England pacer and will look to get rid of Conway before he does any damage.
1. Trent Boult vs. Jonny Bairstow
The biggest battle in the England v New Zealand ICC World Cup 2023 opener will be between Trent Boult and Jonny Bairstow. The England opener Bairstow has the complete freedom to dominate the proceedings from the get-go. His record suggests the same as he boasts of an ODI strike rate of 103.92 from 98 ODI matches.
Trent Boult was a welcome addition to the New Zealand squad. He had given up on his central contract, but the New Zealand board named him to the World Cup squad. And he has been very good since his return. Boult has dismissed Bairstow four times, while the batter has scored 81 runs in 112 balls against the left-armer.
