A crucial Cricket World Cup match is set to take place on Saturday, October 28, at 10.30am (05:00 GMT) at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, India, with Australia taking on New Zealand. Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, perceives the impending game as a friendly rivalry, referring to his New Zealand counterparts as “mates”.
Cummins expressed his anticipation for the match, noting the strong camaraderie between the teams, which he believes would only fuel the competitive spirit on the pitch. He remarked on the eve of the encounter, “I think most of the Kiwis are pretty placid and we’re pretty similar. We’ve played a lot of cricket with these guys and some of them are really good mates. If anything, it makes you want to beat your mates even more. It will be intense out there.”
Reflecting on Australia’s journey in the World Cup thus far, Cummins expressed satisfaction at their recovery after initial losses to India and South Africa. The team turned things around with triumphant performances against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and an overwhelming victory against the Netherlands by a staggering 309 runs.
The captain also pointed out a noticeable increase in their aggression during recent matches, both in batting and bowling. One player who exemplified this was Glenn Maxwell, who scored the fastest World Cup century off just 40 balls in New Delhi on Wednesday. Cummins, who shared a 103-run partnership with Maxwell, praised the latter’s creativity and talent.
Looking ahead to the match, New Zealand’s stand-in captain, Tom Latham, anticipates a tough game against the determined Australians. He noted, “They didn’t start as well as they would have liked, but the form they’ve shown in the last three games is obviously the Australia that we know.” Latham is also hopeful that Kiwi spinner Mitchell Santner, one of the tournament’s leading bowlers, will make his mark in the match.
During a five-day break between games, the New Zealand squad had the unique opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, at his Dharamsala base. When asked about the topics of conversation with the Buddhist monk, Latham humorously responded, “Not field placements!”
The historical record of World Cup clashes between the two teams leans in Australia’s favour, with eight victories out of 11 matches. However, New Zealand, the runners-up in the last two World Cups, has shown impressive form in the tournament with four victories from five games. Australia, on the other hand, has regained momentum after a rocky start, winning three consecutive matches following their first two losses.
The predicted line-ups for both teams have been announced. For Australia, David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, and Josh Hazlewood are set to take the field. New Zealand’s team is expected to include Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (captain), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Trent Boult.
