Alright then, the Trans-Tasmanian rivalry is here in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The Aussies vs the Kiwis. This is going to be an intense battle. Make no mistake about it. Black Caps, despite the loss to Indians, look in good form. Australians are picking up pace after a fault start. We, the Kiwis, sometimes call the Aussies the big cousins from across the Tasman Sea. They are big cousins because there are 25 million while we are 5 million. No wonder whenever the two teams meet, it is called the battle between David and Goliath.
At this World Cup, there was a huge gap between these two teams at the start, but the gap is diminishing. New Zealand had an outstanding run at the start of the tournament, winning four out of the five matches so far. However, I still feel that the big Aussies start as favourites. Yes, they have won the World Cup five times. Yes, they know how to win the big ICC events. But my reasoning is not just based on that.
Aussies started the tournament with two back-to-back losses to India and South Africa respectively. For a moment one thought about whether they had arrived here with the same mindset or not. But it has not taken them a long time to bring their mojo back and break all such notions as they won the next three games.
Australians have found a winning streak and a method to win in the Indian conditions which makes them difficult to beat. David Warner is back among runs. Two back-to-back hundreds have put him among the leading run-scorers of the tournament. And don’t forget Glenn Maxwell who slammed the fastest hundred of the tournament in the last match they played against the Netherlands. 100 off just 40 balls. That’s just insane hitting. He showed his worth and at a ground he loves and played a lot, in Bengaluru. Adam Zampa is getting wickets. He has bowled a lot in India and that is helping him adapt quickly to the conditions. Steve Smith has not found his gear yet, in my opinion, but he remains a big player for them.
Aussies have shown that you can never write them off. If you do, you do it at your own peril. They are building confidence after the shake up at the start. They are getting into the groove. Always beware of the wounded kangaroo in the World Cups. They always find a way out in these big tournaments. They have won more finals and been in more finals than any other team.
On the other side are Kiwis. They have had a good start. They won four out of four until they ran into the hosts India. Devon Conway is a big player for New Zealand. He got off to an excellent start in this World Cup but has gone off track a little. New Zealand need runs from his bat. Rachin Ravindra has had a good tournament so far with both the bat and ball. With Kane Williamson still out, it is important for guys like Will Young to get runs and get big hundreds. Tom Latham should get going to as he is an important player for New Zealand at the back end. Daryl Mitchell is firing. It was nice to see him get that hundred vs India.
On both sides, we have seen some good individual batting performances, but they have not all delivered a complete show. It is also time for Kiwi bowlers to come good collectively. Someone like Trent Boult needs to deliver a strong performance. Something like 4 for 42. Performance that gets highlighted because it won your side the match. He should look to get the top four out and then see what happens with the Aussie middle-order.
It will be interesting to see how Adam Zampa goes in Dharamsala which is not known as a spinner’s paradise. Pacers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will be the bowlers to watch out for in the Aussie lineup. Starc can do the same job that I expect Boult to do. Get early wickets.
This is a hard one to make a prediction on. I feel Australia has a slight edge because Maxwell is firing. But as I have mentioned previously in the article, you have got bowlers on each side who can pick four or five early wickets. Then the batting team will find themselves in a big hole and it will become a headache to dig your way out of it. Anyway, I have got my black eye patch on, and I am going with Black Caps (the Morrison eyewink).
