WC2023 – New Zealand Dominates England in One-Sided Clash at 2023 ODI World Cup Opener; No Crowd Craze In Ahmedabad
Varad Bhatkhande
Ahmedabad, October 5, 2023 – In an encounter marking the opening match of the 2023 ODI World Cup, New Zealand secured a resounding victory over England at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi International Stadium. This contest carried added significance as it was a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, where England emerged victorious on boundary count. However, today’s match ended one-sided, with New Zealand emerging as the dominant force.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first, opting to rest their skipper, Kane Williamson, as a precautionary measure in the tournament opener. Tom Latham was the captain for the Kiwis.
For England, Joe Root was the standout performer with the bat, amassing 77 runs from 86 deliveries before Glenn Phillips dismissed him. Captain Jos Buttler contributed 43 runs from 42 balls before being caught by Tom Latham on a delivery by Matt Henry. Opener Jonny Bairstow added 33 runs from 35 balls before Daryl Mitchell took catch off spinner Mitchell Santner’s delivery ending his innings. Contributions from David Malan, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, and Sam Curran helped England reach a total of 282 runs in their allotted 50 overs.
In response, New Zealand faced an early setback when Will Young was dismissed for a golden duck, caught by Jos Buttler on a delivery by Sam Curran. However, the Kiwis swiftly regained control of the match. Devon Conway, who had previously displayed his proficiency on Indian pitches while representing IPL team Chennai Super Kings in this year’s IPL, was the standout performer, remaining unbeaten with a stunning 152 runs from 121 balls. Rachin Ravindra, who replaced Kane Williamson in the lineup, surprised English bowlers by scoring an impressive 123 runs from 96 balls. New Zealand successfully chased down the target of 283 runs, winning the match by 9 wickets with approximately 14 overs to spare. Sam Curran was the lone wicket-taker for England, but all English bowlers proved to be expensive on the day.
Despite the significance of the tournament opener, the stadium’s attendance did not match the expectations of fans from a cricket-loving nation like India. Tomorrow, Pakistan is scheduled to face the Netherlands team at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, with the match set to commence at 2:00 PM IST. Cricket enthusiasts eagerly await another exciting clash in the ongoing ODI World Cup.
