The Men’s 2023 ODI World Cup is underway in India and will run from October 5 until November 19. Each morning we will round up the latest action and news from the event and bring you insights from our reporters on the ground.
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Top Story: Rahul, Kohli guide India home after early scare on tricky pitch
The hosts and favourites for the 2023 World Cup are up and running. But as clinical as India’s six-wicket victory over Australia looks on paper, there was far more jeopardy out on the field in Chennai.
Ravindra Jadeja’s exemplary 3 for 28 restricted Australia to 199, but the pursuit of a modest target began with a historically bad start. India were reduced to 2 for 3 – the first time in ODIs three of their top four were dismissed without scoring; Mitchell Starc removed Ishan Kishan for a first-ball duck before Josh Hazlewood’s double-wicket maiden snared captain Rohit Sharma lbw and Shreyas Iyer, caught tamely at short cover. But from the ruins rose Virat Kohli and KL Rahul – two of India’s “been there, done that” world-beaters. A stand of 165 turned a problematic start into a cakewalk of a finish.
Match analysis: Defensive Australia burnt by India’s spin trio in Chepauk furnace
India’s spinners bowled 16.5 overs worth of dot balls in their collective 30. They picked up six wickets among them for just 104 runs. They kept hitting Test-match lengths on a black-soil turner that also offered some variable bounce. Australia’s batters just couldn’t put the spinners off those lengths. Their lone specialist spinner then struggled in the evening once dew set in, leaking 53 runs in his eight overs while going wicketless.
Australia did find some momentary breathing space when Warner and Smith forged a 69-run partnership for the second wicket after Mitchell Marsh had fallen for a duck. Hardik Pandya offered both batters drive balls, but the pressure was relentless from India’s spinners. Jadeja was a popgun firing darts on a good length around off stump. Kuldeep, too, attacked the stumps with his stock balls and wrong’uns. Ashwin let rip his carrom ball and reverse carrom ball, raising puffs of dust from the surface.
Must Watch: Tom Moody on Australia’s struggle against spin2>
News headlines
Match preview
Netherlands vs New Zealand, Hyderabad (2pm IST; 8.30pm GMT; 7.30pm AEDT)
As New Zealand now move to Hyderabad for match No. 2 of their World Cup campaign to face Netherlands, they will still be without Kane Williamson, but Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee are likely to be fit and available according to head coach Gary Stead. Williamson, meanwhile, is targeting a return in New Zealand’s third game against Bangladesh.
If numbers are anything to go by, New Zealand definitely have the upper hand going into the clash. They have met Netherlands four times in ODIs, winning on all four occasions – three of those games by a margin of 100-plus runs. The most recent ODI series between the two teams in 2022 went New Zealand’s way by a 3-0 margin.
Team news
New Zealand (possible XI): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (capt, wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Tim Southee/Lockie Ferguson, 9 Mitchell Santner, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent Boult
Netherlands (possible XI): 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 5 Bas de Leede, 6 Teja Nidamanuru, 7 Saqib Zulfiqar, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Aryan Dutt, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Ryan Klein
Feature: Ian Chappell outlines how the World Cup will be won
India will start as favourites, with the most versatile squad in the competition, but they also play in home conditions. The second aspect could be either a blessing or a burden as there will be enormous expectation from an excitable fan base. How India cope with that burden will determine their length of stay in the tournament.
Apart from the home team and the defending champions, other sides likely to be contenders for the semi-finals are Australia, a feisty New Zealand, and the unpredictable but dangerous Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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