New Zealand and the Netherlands are set to lock horns in the sixth match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, India on Monday.
After taking their 2019 World Cup final revenge by battering England in this year's mega event opener, the Black Caps will look to continue their astounding form against the Dutch. New Zealand currently sit on top of the ICC points table with a staggering 2.149 net run rate (NRR).
As all teams have to play nine matches, NRR can come in handy and the Kiwis, who qualified for the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup due to a better NRR than Pakistan, would do anything to record yet another big-margin win so they can not just remain on top but also with a handsome run rate.
Tom Latham will continue to lead the Kiwis in the absence of Kane Willaimson who will sit on the sidelines as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee’s participation will be decided by the team’s medical panel.
On the other hand, the Netherlands were handed an 81-run defeat against Pakistan in their World Cup opener at the same venue where they will play the Kiwis tomorrow.
Despite a good start to the game, where the Dutch bowlers wreaked havoc for the Pakistani batters and sent their top order — Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam — back to the pavilion in just the first 10 overs, they couldn't maintain the momentum and conceded 286 runs and were restricted to 205 runs during their chase.
Pitch report
The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad offers a variety of pitch types, including red soil, black soil, and a combination of the two. Black soil pitches provide greater bounce, aiding batters in scoring runs, while red soil assists slower bowlers and spinners as the game progresses. The flat track in Hyderabad has historically led to high-scoring games, with pace bowlers relying on bouncers and slower deliveries to control the run flow. In the eight official ODI matches played at this venue, the team batting first has held a slight advantage.
Head-to-Head record
In head-to-head ODI encounters, New Zealand have a considerable advantage over the Netherlands. The two sides crossed paths on four different occasions with the Black Caps emerging winners all the time.
Probable Playing XIs
Both teams are less likely to make changes from their first World Cup match.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c/wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Tim Southee/Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult
Netherlands: Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c), Bas de Leede, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul Van Meekeren
