The first match of the World Cup will be played between defending champion England and the last two time World Cup finalist New Zealand.
Earlier when they met in the World Cup round was the 2019 final where Ben Stokes solid game play outplayed Kiwis in the last overs. And the match went to a tie and also the Super Over was finished in a tie and eventually England was decided winner by hitting more boundaries.
It will be great to watch these teams again witnessing the same gameplay.
England (ENG) Analysis:
In 2019 Eoin Morgan was the captain and now Jos Butler will lead the team. It will be a huge responsibility for him to go longer in this format. They are currently the defending champion and will definitely try to retain it again.
Their openers Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan are in good touch with the bat. Both of them contributed well in the starting overs. Joe Root sets a good rhythm in the 3rd place and gives stability to the team. Ben Stokes who returned to the team after withdrawing his retirement from the ODIs was looking more dangerous than before. He also broke the highest score from his side by breaking the earlier record of Jason Roy. He will definitely be a huge asset for the team in the middle order.
Liam Livingstone who can show destruction if he gets stuck to the pitch and is more dangerous in the death overs. Jos Butler batted according to the situation. If the team needs him to be aggressive he shows no mercy to the bowlers and if the team needs to be more defensive then he strikes slowly.
Moeen Ali, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes, these three all rounders will look at both the departments of batting and bowling. Moeen who is a spinner while the latter two will attack with their pace. Woakes already performs some match winning performances in the recent series.
Adil Rashid is the only main spinner from the team but having vast experience in this department will definitely help the team. Mark Wood can easily show some threat with his bullet speed deliveries. Gus Atkinson, Reece Topley and David Willey will surely assist him well.
Predicted Playing 11:
Jos Butler (c/wk), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson.
New Zealand (NZ) Analysis:
New Zelanad must be highly disappointed as they remain just one step away from the last two World Cup finals. Against Australia in 2015 and against England in 2019 they got defeated. But in their first match they will be playing without their main skipper Kane Willamson as he is recovering from his knee surgery and will skip the 1st match.
Tom Latham will take the charge in his absence and he will be seen in the opening along with Devon Conway. Both of them in their last series against England were looking good and this will help in their first match. Conway also played a lot of matches in the IPL which will help him. Daryl Mitchell will be a key asset to the team as he is a flexible player and can play in any position.
Mark Chapman will handle the middle order and will be providing some valuable runs in the middle. Glenn Phillips who can accelerate the innings from any position and will be highly destructive in the death overs.
Rachin Ravindra played a brilliant knock in the practice match and will definitely want to keep that form. He will also assist in the bowling department sometimes. James Neesham also makes a comeback as he was out from the squad from the last series against England due to some personal reasons. He will assist the team in both the departments. He can show ruthless batting in the death overs. Mitchell Santner is their main spinner who can also show some good hands in batting.
Ish Sodhi the leggie from the team will create some magic with his spin. Tim Southee might miss the first match due to injury. Therefore Trent Boult will take charge of bowling. He already made his comeback from the last series where he clinched 5 wickets in a match. Lockie Ferguson can beat the opposition with his sheer pace. Matt Henry will also assist him.
Predicted Playing 11:
Tom Latham (c/wk), Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson.
Pitch and Weather Report:
The match will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Here the pacers might get some help from the pitch as it bounces more than before and offer some swing under the lights. The weather is expected to be hot.
Best 11 for the match:
Jos Butler, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Santner, Sam curran, Rachin Ravindra, Trent Boult.