England
New Zealand
The two finalists of the 2019 ODI World Cup, England and New Zealand, will start the 2023 World Cup campaign on Thursday. Both teams have enough experience in the ODI format and have some of the match-winners in the world. England vs New Zealand is the perfect way to start the tournament.
The defending champions England will be eying another World Cup win this year as they have a talented pool of players in the team. With a 3-1 ODI series win over New Zealand, Jos Buttler and his men will be high on confidence to start the campaign with a positive result.
New Zealand has struggled to make an impact in the ODI format off late but the return of skipper Kane Williamson will be a major boost for the whole team. Expect this match to be a thriller as both teams will be looking to start the cricket carnival on the winning note. Top bookmakers in India have amazing odds for the World Cup.
Malan has scored 402 runs in the last 5 ODIs. Overall in 2023, Malan has scored 591 runs in 9 ODIs at an average of 73.87.
The betting tip is...
Dawid Malan to score fifty
65 %
35 %
EnglandNew ZealandAs the year 2023 began, England started preparing themselves for the ODI World Cup. After trying out different combinations and with the return of Ben Stokes, England is now a well-balanced team in every vertical. Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, and Joe Root will be assigned the task of controlling the game in the top order.
Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Liam Livingstone will be responsible for the middle order. Reece Topley and Chris Woakes will be responsible for the pace attack with Adil Rashid as their primary spinner. Dawid Malan will be in the spotlight as he has scored two half-centuries and hundreds in the last 5 ODIs.
There are no injuries in the England camp and hence skipper Jos Buttler will be using his best possible playing XI.
Predicted Lineup: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes
The 2019 World Cup runner-ups have gone through some major changes in the last 4 years. However, their performance in the ODI format has been a roller coaster ride. The primary concern for the team management will be the inconsistency of performance displayed by the players at some crucial stages.
Another concern will be the injury-prone Kane Williamson. The star batter and the ferocious leader is making a comeback in the tournament but he has been through two injuries this year. Tim Southee has been cleared to join the team after recovering from his thumb injury but he is still doubtful to be part of the first ODI.
Skipper Kane Williamson is confirmed to be part of the fixture but he might not have the services of Tim Southee.
Predicted Lineup: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Will Young
Winning against Bangladesh will be a major boost for New Zealand but playing against England is a different game altogether. In the last 6 ODIs between the two teams, England has won 4, and one match ended up as a draw between the two.
England has a good depth in their batting lineup with Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Dawid Malan in good form. We predict a win for England in the 1st fixture of the World Cup.
