India had a terrible start in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2021 with a 10-wicket defeat to arch-rival Pakistan. Therefore, the Men in Blue campaign is under intense pressure to reclaim their winning momentum in order to advance to the semifinals. India's next match is against New Zealand on Sunday (October 31). The match will start at 8 pm (Bangladesh Standard Time) in Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The match preview of the India-New Zealand match and how this match will determine the top two positions in Group 2 are discussed in this article.
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Notable T20I Record of India and New Zealand
Here are some notable records between India and New Zealand in Twenty20 International.
|
|
India |
New Zealand |
|
Matches Played (16) |
Win (8) |
Win (8) |
|
Most Runs |
Rohit Sharma (338) |
Colin Munro (426) |
|
Highest Score |
Rohit Sharma (80) |
Colin Munro (109*) |
|
Most Fifties |
Rohit Sharma (4) |
Colin Munro (4) |
|
Most Wickets |
Jasprit Bumrah (10) |
IS Sodhi (17) |
|
Best Bowling Figures |
Jasprit Bumrah (3/12) |
Mitchell Santner (4/11) |
|
Most Matches |
Rohit Sharma (13) |
Ross Taylor (13) |
|
Highest Partnership |
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (158) |
Martin Guptill and Colin Munro (105) |
|
Most Catches |
Rohit Sharma (7) |
Tim Southee (11) |
|
Most Dismissals |
MS Dhoni (9) |
Tim Seifert (7) |
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India Team
The match against New Zealand would be a tremendous challenge for India. They need to reorganize the team and identify a viable playing XI that can cause problems for New Zealand. The fact that India's batting lineup is one of the finest in the world will not be altered by their performance against Pakistan. So, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team would surely make a comeback against the Kiwis.
The Men in blue bowling attack seemed to be ineffective against Pakistan. Mohammad Shami and other pacers were severely criticized for being expensive in the first match. Fast bowlers will have to identify their flaws and work on them before the vital match. Hardik Pandya's availability is in doubt. The Indian team management would be waiting for him till the very last moment.
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Predicted Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand Team
Like India, New Zealand lost their first match against Pakistan. So, the match against India will be crucial for them. Winning this match will improve New Zealand's confidence in their quest for a semifinal spot.
The Blackcaps team is dealing with a number of injuries. Some Kiwi players, including captain Kane Williamson, are not fully fit. However, they are all capable of participating in this high-voltage contest.
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The New Zealand batters must improve after a lackluster performance in the opening match. The Blackaps middle order failed to accelerate the run rates in the death overs, which is a major issue for them. In comparison, New Zealand's bowling department performed well and they must continue to do so in this match as well.
Predicted Playing XI:
Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wk), Kane Williamson (C), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.
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How India-New Zealand Fixture Would Affect Points Table
Whoever wins the match will be in a better position in Group 2's point standings. The team that wins will move up to second place in the rankings. Another important consideration is that neither India nor New Zealand will face any difficult opponents after that. Following this encounter, they will face opponents that are relatively weaker. However, both sides will meet Afghanistan, which might be a difficult contest for them. Because Afghanistan showed consistency and tenacity in this World Cup. .
In a nutshell, the winner of this match would most likely finish second of this group as Pakistan’s first place finish is all but confirmed.
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Verdict
New Zealand and India are presently in fourth and fifth place, respectively in group 2. They are both among the favourites to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. However, one of the teams would be eliminated from the Super 12 stage as Pakistan have already qualified for the semifinals. Both of the teams have actual match-winners on their squads. Therefore, a thrilling match between India and New Zealand is expected on Sunday (October 31).