New Zealand will face Pakistan in a crucial group stage match on Saturday. The match will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and is a day game.
New Zealand will face Pakistan in the 35th match of the Cricket World Cup on Saturday morning in Bengaluru. Both teams still have two games left in the group stage and both have their sights set on finishing in the top four. New Zealand had a 100 percent record in four games but have since been beaten by India, Australia and South Africa. Trailing by two points, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets with 105 balls remaining in Game 31 at Eden Gardens on Tuesday. This ODI match will begin at 10:30 am local time at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
New Zealand have been extremely consistent in their first four games but injuries are now showing that their squad is not quite as strong as everyone had thought. They still have a number of match-winners and if they play to their potential they should have enough to win this game.
Pakistan put in a brilliant performance from their entire team in their last game to keep their semi-final hopes alive and they will turn up in Bengaluru with high spirits among the team. However, this will be a much tougher competition and they will need to be very close to their best on Saturday.
Match Preview
The 35th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 will take place between New Zealand and Pakistan on Saturday, November 4th. This exciting encounter is scheduled to take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
New Zealand have won four of seven games and are in fourth place in the points table. They have lost their last three games. Pakistan have won three out of seven matches and are in fifth place. They come after winning their last game.
New Zealand lost their last game against South Africa by a huge margin of 190 runs while chasing the target of 358 runs. Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen scored centuries for South Africa. David Miller scored a half-century for the team. Glenn Phillips was the top scorer for New Zealand, scoring 60 runs from 50 deliveries. Only two batters other than him managed to reach double figures for the Kiwis.
Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in their last match after reaching the target of 205 runs in 32.3 overs. Bangladesh were bundled out for 204 runs in 45.1 overs. Only four batters managed to reach double figures. Fakhar Zaman scored a magnificent half-century on his return and was named player of the match.
Pitch Report
The pitch in this game is expected to provide favorable conditions for batters. In the last five games played here, the average first innings score was 292 runs. The team that wins the toss could elect to field.
Weather Report
The weather forecast is for very wet conditions for this game in Bengaluru. It will be partly cloudy for the first few hours, but there is a risk of heavy rain for the rest of the game.
Toss Prediction
So far we have seen a win for Australia in first place and Sri Lanka in first place at this venue of the competition. Both Pakistan and New Zealand like to chase and we expect both captains to choose to bat first if they win the toss.
Head to Head
Both teams have faced each other in 115 ODIs so far. In the direct record, Pakistan are slightly ahead with 60 wins, while New Zealand were at the top with 51 games. 1 game ended in a draw, while 3 games produced no result.
Match Prediction
It should be a brilliant contest between two teams who have shown poor form in the tournament but still have a good chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the semi-finals. On a pitch where the bowlers are supported, it could well come down to which of the team's best batsmen is able to produce a match-winning innings. We are predicting a very close game but believe New Zealand have the better team and are betting on them to win this game.
New Zealand beats Pakistan
Venue Details
The average first innings score at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium is 260. The highest total achieved here is 383-6 by India against Australia in 2013. In this World Cup, Australia defeated Pakistan by 367-9 at this venue , after it hit first. Pakistan also managed to reach 305 in the chase. The team that bats first in this game will have to aim for a total of around 350 runs.
Betting Tips
Both teams are currently struggling and are desperate to get back on their feet. Although this is one of the more difficult games, we believe New Zealand have a slight edge in this competition. The team has a better balance of players, especially in the bowling department, and that could help them finish at the top.
Daryl Mitchell – The batting all-rounder hit four fours before being dismissed by South Africa in game 32. South Africa's celebration when he was released shows what a key player he is for New Zealand.
Glenn Phillips – The 26-year-old has emerged as a consistent batsman in the format, hitting half-centuries in two of the last four games against South Africa and Afghanistan.
Trent Boult – The left-arm pacer will open the bowling in this game and will look to get a big early wicket again like he did when he dismissed Temba Bavuma in the ninth over in the last game.
Mitchell Santner – The bowling all-rounder went wicketless for the first time this season in the defeat against South Africa. However, he is still averaging a wicket every 29 balls in this tournament.
Pakistan Key Players
Fakhar Zaman – The left-handed 33-year-old opener returned to the team and made his presence felt against Bangladesh with 81 runs off 74 balls, an innings that earned him the Player of the Match award.
Babar Azam – The captain took his team to 128 to the crease and pretty much won the game. However, he needs to be back to his best for this crucial game with the Black Caps.
Shaheen Shah Afridi – The left-arm pace bowler took his 100th ODI wicket in the win against Bangladesh and also posted a brilliant economy rate of 2.55. He will be key to Pakistan's success in this game.
Mohammad Wasim – The 22-year-old speedy right-arm midfielder has impressed since joining the team two games ago. So far, he has a strike rate of 21.80 in 18.1 overs.
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