India and New Zealand, the two unbeaten teams of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup 2023 so far, go head to head in Sunday’s encounter at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala. The match is set to begin from 2 pm.
New Zealand currently lead the pack on the basis of better net run rate (NRR), while India sit on second, both having won all of the matches they have played so far, accumulating eight points apiece in the tournament. However, that is likely to change today, unless the match ends in a tie.
Head To Head:
India have faced New Zealand on the cricket pitch on 116 occasions in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Of these, India won 58 matches, while the Black Caps have 50 wins. One match between the two teams ended in a tie, while seven matches did not produce any results. In the last five ODIs between the two teams, New Zealand did not beat India with two of those matches not producing a result.
However, when it comes to World Cups, the Black Caps hold a massive advantage over the Men in Blue. In the nine occasions the two teams have played against each other in World Cups, New Zeland have won five, while India have only three, with one match not producing any result. They met in the 2019 World Cup last time, as the match was abandoned. India and New Zealand played in the semi-final in that World Cup when India was defeated by just 18 runs. Chasing a target of 239, India was reduced to 24 for the loss of four wickets and Ravindra Jadeja’s heroic 77 off 59 also went in vain.
Pitch Report:
The pitch at Dharamshala has historically favoured pacers, however, as the game progresses, batters are likely to enjoy playing shots with the ball coming onto the bat more. Surprisingly, the Bangladesh vs Afghanistan match saw spinners having a good run. With Hardik Pandya out, India are expected to opt to bring in Mohammed Shami with the pitch conditions in mind.
Weather Forecast:
The weather in Dharamshala is cool and cloudy with the forecast suggesting a 24 per cent chance of rainfall. Temperatures are predicted to be at 19 degrees at its highest, Weather.com reported. During the evening, the temperature is expected to further dip.
Match Prediction:
Google’s win probability gives India a 67 per cent chance of winning the match and carry on their unbeaten record. However, against a Kiwis side at its strongest, it will be a difficult proposal. CricTracker weighed heavily on an India win, while MyKhel also said India will make the most of their home advantage to run away with the match.
