Table of Contents
The Kiwis will kick off their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a face-off against the hosts of the tournament on Saturday. The Trans-Tasman rivalry will open up the Super 12s stage of the biannual competition at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground.
That the two sides find themselves in one Super 12s group shall not surprise anyone. Their clash is one of the most anticipated aspects of the game, with the rivalry growing in stature over the years amidst the Kiwi’s rise into prominence on the global stage.
Despite a limited playing pool, New Zealand boast of runners-up tags at the previous T20 World Cup, which was preceded by them reaching the finals of the successive ODI World Cups in 2015 and 2019. In between, the Kane Williamson-led side came out triumphant in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
Success against the Aussies, however, continues to elude them. The Kiwis have lost both their previous marquee finals versus their neighbours, going down painfully in the summit clashes for the 2015 ODI World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup.
Australia, meanwhile, seem to have a psychological edge over New Zealand. Since the turn of the century, they’ve won 19 of their 25 Test encounters, 44 of the 67 ODIs they’ve locked horns in and clinched victory in 10 of their 15 T20Is. They will be vying to continue this dominance come Saturday afternoon when they take on their favourite opposition for the start of the main round.
Key players
David Warner missed the trip to India due to workload management and then failed the second T20I of the series versus England. In-between, however, the left-hander played a terrific knock of 73 off 44 to reinforce his status as Australia’s No.1 opening batter. Australia would need multiple such knocks from him through the T20 World Cup, something he is very much capable of. The batter would look to prove his naysayers wrong as they continue to sing the song of eulogy around his T20I career.
Australia need their spearhead to come out firing with the new ball and showcase improved hard-length execution at the death if they are to defend their T20 World Cup crown. Pat Cummins may not always get the credit for it, but his T20I record is quite healthy. The pacer has taken 52 wickets from his 46 matches with an ER of 7.29. In powerplays, Cummins goes for 7.30 an over; he has a death-overs ER of 7.76.
Glenn Maxwell may be struggling for big scores in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. But the Aussie maverick’s potential impact can never be disregarded.
He will enter the New Zealand clash determined to kick off his tournament in form and build from there. The unorthodox batter has a stellar T20I record against NZ, going at a strike rate of 157.04 while carrying an average of 33.42 over 10 games.
Devon Conway has been a fantastic inclusion to New Zealand’s set-up across formats since his debut. In T20Is, he enters the T20 World Cup with 941 runs made from 28 matches at an average of 52.27 and strike-rate of 134.23. The Kiwi opener will be a key player in dictating his team’s fortunes over the next three weeks in Australia, where he shall relish the ball coming onto the bat at true bounce.
He is also one of the rare New Zealand batters with a strong game against spin. At the IPL 2022 for Chennai Super Kings, he averaged 58.50 with a SR of 182.81 versus spin on Indian pitches. In T20Is for New Zealand as well, he has a healthy record against spin: avg 54.50; SR 131.85.
Prediction
Being the hosts and taking on a side they have repeatedly dominated at the world stage, Australia start off the game as massive favourites. They will be determined to retain wood over the Kiwis at the SCG and set their campaign off to a winning start, which would ease some of the nerves they may be feeling.
For New Zealand, those nerves might present them a window of opportunity to put the Australians under pressure. But on paper, the Aussies emerge as an all-round superior side to the Kiwis and should be coming out triumphant in this game.
