Perhaps, the most anticipated match outside of the India- Pakistan fixture is the Kiwi-Aussie group play match today. Both are hosts and both are riding high and are on top of their game. A New Zealand-Australia clash in any sport has always created lots of interest as well as animosity. Remember the time when the two nations almost cut off diplomatic ties when Greg Chappell bowled the last ball of the match using that infamous under-arm delivery to ensure an Aussie victory. The ICC subsequently had to change the rules of bowling to ensure that “prevention is better than cure” theory prevailed. However, this match could very well be a dress rehearsal of the final in late March.
There are many factors at play with both hosts thinking they have a massive chance of winning this tournament, especially on home soil. First and foremost, this match will be a huge spectacle and with the match being played at Eden Park in Auckland, I would tend to believe that this places the Kiwis at a slightly advantageous position because the Aussies will not have played before a more hostile crowd in recent times. The stakes are huge as the winner of this match will be guaranteed the No.1 spot in the group, which can be a huge advantage at the back end of this long tournament.
In 1992, these two teams met at the same venue which the Kiwis won and its supporters will hope that the result will be repeated this year. However, neither team managed to reach the final.
Head to head it is not easy to choose one over the other as both teams are primed up for the clash.
Both teams have two of the most successful fast bowling attacks in the competition, closely backed up with a very strong batting line up. What everyone is waiting for is the duel between bat and ball; primarily the Johnson-McCallum and Boult-Warner match ups. Apart from these two prime contests, there are several other comparisons to consider. Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, Glen Maxwell and Anderson are two that come to mind.
New Zealand’s batting strength lies in the fact that their compilation of big scores has generally not been dependent on one player. It has been a team effort as we have seen in its opening match against Sri Lanka when they crossed the 300 mark without an individual hundred. This speaks volumes about the team’s batting strength. The Kiwi batting will need to fire if they are to win the day. Michael Clarke will most likely play today. Whether his inclusion will create any sort of an imbalance within a team that has been firing without him in ODI’s remains to be see. In my humble opinion, the odds are slightly in favour of the Black Caps only because they are playing in home conditions in front of a raucous home crowd.
Which team has the X-factor to make the difference? Is it the Aussie fast bowling unit that is so persistent with its pounding of the opposing batters or will it be the duel between the two spinners, Maxwell and Vettori? The fact that this is in Auckland, underlines the fact that this match will depend on which team has the better day with its bowling. Or will the batters take charge and one or two players from a side will produce a gem to run away with the match; something similar to the Gayle storm or Hurricane AB D’Villiers? Those eagerly awaited cricket enthusiasts are best advised to wait and find out.