India vs New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Match: Key Players and Battles to watch out for

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Updated: June 13, 2019
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India and New Zealand are set to play out an exciting game today. New Zealand have won three out of their three games in the tournament while India have won both their games so far. It will be an exciting battle between the two teams, both of whom boast of strong squads.

India vs New Zealand: Head to Head

In 106 games, India have won 55 games against New Zealand and lost 45 games while 5 games have been draws. In World Cup games, New Zealand and India have played each other 7 times, with India winning 3 games and New Zealand winning 4.

Team India Advantages

Team India enjoy a distinct advantage over many teams since they have a well-settled squad. In Rohit Sharma, the team has a capable opener who is in form and of course, they have a settled batsman in Captain Virat Kohli. MS Dhoni is also the fulcrum of the side while Hardik Pandya has mostly delivered so far. In Jasprit Bumrah, they have a great death specialist while the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have done well so far. The wily swing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar is another asset for the Indian team.

Team New Zealand Advantages

New Zealand has pace bowling as its biggest advantage, with its team picking up 27 wickets in three World Cup games till now at an average of 18.14 which is the highest across all the teams. The team has a potent pace bowling attack in Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult while Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner lend more balance to the attack. The team also has good batsmen in Captain Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro who can be quite explosive.

Battles to Watch Out For:

Rohit Sharma vs. Tim Southee – Southee is in red hot form now and he will be looking to scalp Sharma early. Sharma in turn will be looking to turn on the pressure by dispatching Southee for some early boundaries and settling in at the crease. This is one battle worth watching out for.

Virat Kohli vs. Trent Boult – Boult is New Zealand’s pace spearhead and he will be locking horns with Captain Kohli, arguably the world’s best batsman. Expect a riveting contest between bat and ball.

Martin Guptill vs. Jasprit Bumrah – Bumrah will look to dismiss Guptill early while the latter will naturally want to play his attacking game. Another fascinating battle that’s on the cards!

Kane Williamson vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Kumar is known for his prowess when it comes to swing and in Wiliamson he has a worthy adversary. These two are calm, unruffled players who will want to gain an edge over each other.

Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal vs. Ross Taylor – Taylor will have to play a vital role in playing spin and India’s spin duo can give him some stiff competition. This one’s another treat for fans.

Hardik Pandya vs. Mitchell Santner – Both all-rounders have complete game skills and they will be looking to go one up against each other with both bat and ball.

With both the teams raring to go against each other from the start, it will be a wonderful encounter to watch. May the best team win!!!