With the blockbuster Saturday coming, cricket fanatics will witness some delicious and intense clashes, and one of them is the match between New Zealand and Pakistan. In the ongoing CWC edition, both the cricketing powerhouses have higher chances of sealing the remaining three semi-final spots, which India has already locked.
Indeed, this will be a pivotal match for both sides, as a victory for either will have far-reaching effects, while a defeat will have far-reaching consequences. New Zealand is now fourth in the rankings with 8 points after seven games, while Pakistan is fifth with 6 points after seven games.
New Zealand is in an unusual predicament after losing three consecutive matches and desperately needs a win over Pakistan to get their season back on track. They lost their previous game against South Africa by a large margin, which has considerably lowered their net run rate and given Pakistan an upper hand to finish in the top four. The encounter was as one-sided as a match, with the Black Caps looking flat on the pitch. Adding salt to the wound, fast bowler Matt Henry was hurt while bowling and had to leave the rise in the middle of an over. Ultimately, the Black Caps aim to bring back their winning ways through their upcoming encounter.
For Pakistan, the match against New Zealand is a must-win situation because if they lose, they will be eliminated from the tournament. But the Babar Azam-led side won't be worrying about that, especially given how well they performed against Bangladesh in their previous encounter, and will instead try to maintain their success against New Zealand.
Predicted XI:
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young/ Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (C & WK), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry/Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Players to check out for from each team:
Rachin Ravindra: Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand has scored 417 runs in seven matches at 69.17 in the 2023 World Cup. He has banged two centuries and two fifties. Ravindra has scored 604 runs in ODIs this year at an average of 43.14 (50s: 3, 100s: 2). With his magnificent century against Australia, he tied Sachin Tendulkar for the most World Cup tons before the age of 24.
Mohammad Rizwan: Mohammad Rizwan has been one of Pakistan's star performers in One-Day Internationals this year. With 987 runs at an outstanding average of 65.80, he is their leading run-scorer in this format. He has 359 runs against New Zealand at 59.83, including three fifties.
Match Particulars:
Date: 4 November 2023
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Venue: Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Pitch Report & Toss: The Match No. 35 clash between New Zealand and Pakistan will be played in the fan-loaded Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Batters favour the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore because of its flat surface. With a speedy outfield and small boundaries, scoring runs at the stadium is simple. Choosing to Bat First and amass a vast total might be a sensible move.
