The 2023 Cricket World Cup kickstarts with a mouth-watering contest between two terrific teams in form of England and New Zealand, who have played against each other a lot. Recently, they played a four-match series with England winning it 3-1 after being 0-1 down. This series win will give them a slight advantage going into the first match of the World Cup.
England, on paper, are a brilliant side. Many players in their squad have experienced World Cup win before. They have experience of playing in different conditions. They have got match[1]winners right from top to bottom. When you look at the recent series vs New Zealand, they won one of the games after being reduced to 50 for 5. This tells you that England are a difficult to side to break down. The opposition team might get them to 50 for 5 but England possess the resources down the order to still reach a competitive score. England’s strength is not just their first XI but their whole squad. Their final 15 is exceptional.
With so much travelling and different conditions across venues in India, I think you need to have a strong 15 and not be reliant just on the first XI. England have got the bases covered. They are a group of fit, skilled and all-condition cricketers. In India, while some pitches are traditionally slow and low, others would be fresh as this is a start of the season. Some pitches may have something in them for the fast bowlers – seamers and swing bowlers- with the rain around at some venues.
England have got a squad that is ready to play and potentially win across conditions. They have got three left-armers if they need them. They have also got the pace of Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood. England will probably have four spinners in all their playing 11s in the form of Joe Root, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali. They have two genuine bowlers in the top 6 which is a big plus in this World Cup. That is not an advantage that every team has got. Moeen and Rashid bowl well together. While Rashid aims for the wickets, Moeen keeps it tight at the other end.
The role of Joe Root will be pivotal. The conditions in India will vary and you need someone like Root, who is a master at assessing the conditions. So, it’s not just about the Root runs that matter but his role in assessing the conditions and guiding the team to see what good scores are at different venues, will be key. His impact in the game will be massive, from England’s perspective.
The only challenge for England could be the fact that they have not played a huge amount of ODI cricket in this four-year cycle. They have played less ODIs in 2019-2023 cycle than the 2015-2019 one. Many players in the England setup feel that T20s prepare them for the 50-over cricket but what it does not prepare you for is those key moments in overs 20 to 40 when you are required to change the tempo, find a way out of a tough period, fight a good bowling spell. That kind of thing does not happen in T20 cricket. I think the conditions that they will be up against, England’s challenge will be to reach a good score.
As far as New Zealand are concerned, they are going to one of the sides to beat. Historically, New Zealand have been a great World Cup side. The X-factor for them will be Kane Williamson. He is ruled out of the England match, which is a big blow to the Black Caps. But this is the right decision knowing how long the tournament is.
New Zealand’s batting lineup is pretty good. Devon Conway is going to play a big role in those conditions. He plays the spin very well. For me, Conway will be playing the same role for New Zealand what Root will play for England. He will be the eyes and ears for New Zealand batting, guiding and telling the batters what a good score on a particular surface can be. How are they going to navigate through the tricky times and reach that good score. Conway’s knowledge and experience of the Indian conditions and his excellent all-format batting will help New Zealand immensely. Black Caps will be hoping Conway has a big tournament.
I am also looking forward to watching Glenn Phillips play this World Cup. His ability to change the tempo of the game rapidly with the way he reads the game will be pivotal to the success of Black Caps. He is a great fielder, who can keep wickets too and chip in with some overs. He is a three-dimensional cricketer in truest sense and if Phillips has good six weeks in international cricket, New Zealand will be a side to beat.
Trent Boult can change the course of an innings very quickly with the new ball. I feel he is the best left-arm pacer in his generation. His ability to knock over the best of top-order players in the world makes him the best in the world. Boult will need to be respected and played out. He is someone who can push a side on back foot right at the start, reducing them to 20 for 3 in the first six overs. If he has a hot spell and he often does, beware.
Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner, the spinners, should not be underestimated in the conditions which will suit them. Santner, particularly, is a very clever bowler. He does not always need a turn and bounce in his favour. He is a very good flight bowler and clever at working in a situation. I expect him to have a big World Cup regardless of the conditions.
New Zealand have their pace-bowling options covered too. Matt Henry is a brilliant ODI bowler. Lockie Ferguson has a lot of pace and can be a game-changer. Tim Southee is still a part of the squad and if he returns to the XI soon, his experience will be quite handy.
Both England New Zealand got wins in their last warm-up matches and know what their first XI is. I am sure the first match of the World Cup is going to be a great watch.
