Australia and New Zealand are set to lock horns in a crucial ODI World Cup 2023 clash in Dharamsala on Saturday, October 28.
The two captains, Pat Cummins and Tom Latham, announced one change each to their playing XIs. While a fit-again Travis Head replaced all-rounder Cameron Green in the Australian side, James Neesham returned to the Kiwi playing XI in place of Mark Chapman, who has a 'calf niggle', as stated by Latham.
For the unversed, Head fractured his left hand during the ODI series against South Africa prior to the World Cup. He was set to miss the first few matches in the marquee event but the Aussie selectors kept him in the squad because of the surreal form he has shown in 2023.
Mitchell Marsh did relatively well during his stint as David Warner's opening partner in Head;s absence, however, there was no doubt about Head reprising his role once he recovered from his injury. Green, who played limited roles in the two games, made way for the veteran.
Meanwhile, Chapman batted at No. 7 and scored 36 runs in three innings. His left-arm orthodox bowling was not used as well. Neesham played New Zealand's opening fixture against England and was dropped for the subsequent matches. He will lend more balance to the New Zealand side with his all-round abilities.
What did the captains say at the toss?
Latham won the toss and opted to field first. The wicketkeeper-batter reckoned that there could be some help for the new-ball bowlers as they were playing a day game. Pat Cummins also expected some help up front for the pacers and also mentioned that the two teams know each other quite well.
"We are going to bowl. Early start, reasonable surface, there may be something early with the new ball because of a day game. Jimmy Neesham is in for Mark Chapman who has a calf niggle. Adapting quickly to what is in front of us will be key," Latham said.
Pat Cummins said: "Looks like a good wicket, might be something in it early. Travis Head comes in for Cam Green. They are a team we know really well, but they know us really well too. Excited to get going. Try and set up a big score."
New Zealand (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(wk/c), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(wk), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
from Cricket News: Today's Top news and headlines from cricket world | CricTracker.com https://ift.tt/zjLrGyM