England face New Zealand in WC opener today
Thursday, 5 October 2023
AHMEDABAD, India, Oct 04 (Agencies): After combining to produce the most dramatic finish ever to a Cricket World Cup, England and New Zealand will meet again this time to open the 2023 edition in India.
This is also the third time that the Three Lions and Black Caps will play in the first match of the World Cup after the 1983 and 1996 editions.
Stokes was the key player in England's victory in the 2019 final and his return only bolsters his team's chances of back-to-back titles. But he could miss the World Cup opener against New Zealand due to a hip injury with captain Jos Buttler admitting Wednesday "it's not the time to take risks".
"He (Stokes) has got a slight niggle in his hip. Fingers crossed that it'll be good news for us," Buttler told reporters.
For New Zealand, this tournament presents a chance to go one step further, without worrying about the boundary countback.
Veteran pace bowler Tim Southee's thumb injury is likely to keep him on the sidelines until later in the tournament.
Kane Williamson, who scored 54 and 37 in the two warmup games, also won't play the opener against England because he needs more time to recover from a long-term knee injury.
"I'm really fortunate to be a part of this World Cup. Five months ago, that didn't seem a possibility," he said after New Zealand's warmup win over Pakistan. "There is still some time to go (to full fitness), and it is great to get through some batting in the middle."
Tom Latham will lead the Black Caps in Williamson's absence which, in turn, will allow both Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman to feature in the game.
The middle-order duo has become a vital cog for New Zealand in ODI cricket over the last two years, as they make good use of the last 20 overs with some impressive power hitting.
New Zealand also has Devon Conway to share Williamson's run-scoring burden. The 32-year-old left-handed opener made his ODI debut in 2021 and averages 46 in 22 matches since. Conway also has extensive experience of Indian conditions, given he is a vital batsman for the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings.
New Zealand is also well rounded in the bowling department, with spinners Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner expected to perform will in the conditions. Left-arm pacer Trent Boult is part of the mix, despite relinquishing his full national contract, and it is surely to be his last World Cup for the Black Caps.
Since 2015, New Zealand has qualified for the semifinals of every ICC white-ball tournament, and reaching the last four would again be a minimum expectation for its golden generation of cricketers.