ENG vs NZ Match Prediction – Who will win today 1st ODI World Cup match?

Defending champions England (ENG) will take on 2019 finalists New Zealand (NZ) in the opening fixture of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on Thursday, October 5.

The two teams recently faced each other in a four-match series in England. The home side emerged victorious by a 3-1 margin. However, a lot of the top players were absent in the series from both sides. A World Cup game will be played with much more intensity and fans can expect a riveting affair to get the marquee event underway.

England’s first warm-up tie against India was abandoned without a ball being bowled. However, they got some game time against Bangladesh in the second warm-up fixture and won the rain-curtailed encounter by four wickets, via the Duckworth Louis-Stern method (DLS method). New Zealand, on the other hand, have had a fantastic start to their time in India as they defeated Pakistan and South Africa in their two warm-up games to enter the World Cup on a high.

Also Check: Live Score – England vs New Zealand, 1st Match

ENG vs NZ Match Details:

Narendra Modi Stadium Pitch Report:

There are six black soil pitches and five red soil pitches at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Seam bowlers tend to get more help on the red soil pitches, while slower bowlers come into play on the black soil pitches as the match grows older. Batters can get good scores if they give themselves time to get settled at the crease. It will be interesting to see which kind of pitch greets the two teams on Thursday. The good news for fans is that the weather forecast looks quite promising with no prediction for rain during the match hours. However, dew could play a big role and captains will need to keep that in mind while making a decision at the toss.

ENG vs NZ Head-to-Head Record:

ENG vs NZ Probable Playing XI

England (ENG):

Jos Buttler (C), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley

New Zealand (NZ)

Devon Conway, Will Young, Mark Chapman/Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (C), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Trent Boult

Probable Best Performers:

Probable Best Batter:

Devon Conway (New Zealand): 

One of the most consistent batters across formats, Devon Conway is expected to play a significant role for the Kiwis in the World Cup. He has the ability to bat deep into the innings and set the platform for the big hitters like Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. New Zealand will hope to get off to a positive start and Conway would be their best bet in achieving the same.

Also Check: Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2023

Probable Best Bowler:

Mark Wood (England):

The tall fast bowler can make things happen on the flattest of pitches with his exceptional pace. If he can stay fit throughout the tournament, England will have an excellent wicket-taker on their side. Wood has the ability to pick up wickets at all the stages of an innings and it will give skipper Buttler and the England fans a lot of confidence.