The opening match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup is a repeat of the 2019 final, as defending champions England come up against runners-up New Zealand.
Despite dropping to fifth in the world rankings, England are amongst the favourites to lift the trophy in India, as we prepare for a month of top-class 50-over cricket action.
There have been injury concerns surrounding the returning Ben Stokes, but England still look to have the strength in depth to win their opener and stamp their authority on the tournament.
- England to win
- Dawid Malan – Top England Batsman
- Total Match Runs – Over 586.5
WATCH IN THE ZONE - ANDREW STRAUSS
Buttler And Co In Confident Mood
England head into Thursday’s opening match in Ahmedabad on a high, having beaten New Zealand in their recent 50-over series.
Having lost the opener in Cardiff by eight wickets, Jos Buttler’s men won the next three in a row and sent out a message to their World Cup rivals.
After seeing their ODI form tail off slightly following their Lord’s success four years ago, coach Matthew Mott has seen his squad win seven of their last nine completed one-day matches.
It wasn’t just the victories over the Black Caps that caught the eye, it was the manner of the successes – winning by 79, 181 and 100 runs.
During that four-match series, New Zealand – who are ranked one place below England in the world standings - failed to reach 300 with the bat.
Malan Ready To Shine In India
It’s incredible to think that the current world champions only have one player in the top-15 of the ODI batting rankings, but that player heads into the World Cup in great nick.
Dawid Malan scored 277 runs in three innings against the Black Caps last month, including 127 from 114 balls in the victory at Lord’s.
The Yorkshire batter was part of the squad that won the T20 World Cup last year, but didn’t get to play in the latter stages and will be desperate to have a big impact on this tournament.
Malan, who has five ODI centuries to his name, has a one-day international average of 61.52 and a 96.13 strike rate going into this opener.
MALAN ENGLAND TOP ENGLAND BATSMAN
300 The Target For Big-Hitting England
It’s almost commonplace now to see England smash 300+ runs in ODIs and they have achieved that feat in each of their last three 50-over matches.
Buttler’s men racked up 368 in the 3rd ODI victory over New Zealand, before smashing 311 in the series finale at Lord’s.
Following on from those two displays, the world champions made 334/8 in their 48-run success over Ireland at Trent Bridge, with what was a second-string line up.
With the pitches in India likely to be more batting-friendly compared to the late-summer strips in England, it looks set to be a high-scoring encounter between two teams with title hopes.
