India vs New Zealand Match Prediction: The Sportsrush present before you Match Prediction of 2019 World Cup Match 18 between IND and NZ.
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Thursday brings with us one of the most highly anticipated and finest games of cricket we are going to be afforded this edition of the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2019. India and New Zealand bring with them a 100% record in between them with both the sides yet to be defeated after their opening encounters.
What makes for an even more interesting proposition is the overwhelming display of pure, clean and pristine pace bowling in favourable conditions. Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry are undoubtedly the most expansive pacers in the tournament as of yet, showcasing their exquisite skill set with some scintillating spells.
India are making a foray into the match placed third in the league standings after two clinical performances which saw them rummage past South Africa and Australia seamlessly. They were hardly perturbed in the both the encounters, well on top against two world-class units which were supposed to pose a tepid challenge.
Elsewhere, India’s counterparts on the day are currently the table-toppers. They began the tournament with an emphatic win against Sri Lanka, following it up with two more brilliant showings against Asian countries Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
India vs New Zealand – What numbers suggest?
We’ve seen the 105 encounters between these two till date with India just slightly edging it with the 10 extra wins. They’ve emerged from the encounter 55 times on the winning side as opposed to the 45 for New Zealand. The sole match has been drawn as well while the 5 have been curtailed without a result owing to harsh weather conditions.
The last time the two sides met in an international series was in this year itself when India had come out on top by a resounding margin of 4-1 to register their first ever series win in the country since 2009. Most recently, they had met in a warm-up encounter in the build-up to the World Cup with New Zealand comfortably defeating India by 6 wickets.
India vs New Zealand – Key Battles
Lokesh Rahul vs Trent Boult
With Shikhar Dhawan out for three weeks owing to a fracture he sustained after being trapped on the thumb, the BCCI have confirmed KL Rahul will be opening against New Zealand.
Back at the top of the order, Rahul will immediately be up against one of the finest exponents of the newer ball in the cricketing fraternity. Trent Boult is a name held in massive reverence and he loves bowling against India in particular.
Under heavily overcast skies, the new ball will swing to Boult’s tunes and deviate both into and away from Rahul, leaving him flummoxed. Boult will especially target the outside the offside channel with Rahul tentatively fetching at the deliveries bowled in that area, more often than not edging it to the wicket-keeper.
MS Dhoni vs Mitchell Santner
While it’s still unsure of who will be called into the number 4 slot with Rahul opening for India, Dhoni’s number 5 spot has been consolidated. He will definitely be elevated up the order with India looking to provide a steady partner to Kohli who can accompany him while he keeps playing his full range of shots.
While Dhoni has been fruitful up till now, coming up with important runs in both the matches, New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner will be a difficult bowler for him to traverse.
Having shared the dressing room at Chennai Super Kings, both the cricketers (especially Dhoni) will be aware of each other’s ploy. In the 12 matches that Santner has played against India, he has dismissed Dhoni only once (fifth ODI at Visakhapatnam during New Zealand’s tour of India).
India vs New Zealand – Match Prediction
This is the most level balanced contest till now in the showpiece tournament based on current form. Both the teams have not only won matches but dominated them with a complete, well-rounded performance seeing them through.
Where the Indian team have performed better than New Zealand though is their batting order. Whilst New Zealand’s three wins have been extremely comprehensive, the middle-order was exposed against Bangladesh and Munro and Guptill haven’t been able to establish themselves. New Zealand batsmen are traditionally known to struggle against spin and Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav’s middle-overs of will test them immensely.
However, New Zealand’s positives far outweigh their aberrations. The pace battery of Boult, Henry and Ferguson has been a real force to reckon with, cleaning apart sides with exuberant ease. This is undoubtedly a match-up between the finest pace batteries at the marquee event with India edging it given the way their entire batting unit has stepped up till now.
