Aus v NZ World T20 Preview: Trans-Tasman rivalry renews at the picturesque ground

Old foes Australia and New Zealand will renew their rivalry tomorrow at a venue that brings a different dimension to the game. The high altitude in Dharamshala sitting at 1457m means the pace bowlers would be able to make the ball fly faster and the batsmen will also have the luxury of seeing the ball travel further. If the weather stays clears for this afternoon game, one can expect a high scoring encounter at the foot of the Himalayas.

Australia:

Australia is still looking to find their best final XI after chopping and changing during the recent T20I series against India and South Africa. Their series win against the Proteas must have given them a much-needed confidence boost ahead of a tournament that they have traditionally struggled in. Though, they enter the tournament as one of the teams to beat with their star-studded batting line-up.

Given their IPL experience, one wouldn’t be surprised to see a top four comprising of Shane Watson, Aaron Finch, skipper Steve Smith and David Warner. Usman Khawaja’s prolific form doesn’t guarantee him a place in this formidable batting lineup.  Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh are game changers in their own right and are expected to play a big part for the men from Down Under. One can expect both leg-spinner Adam Zampa and left-arm spinner Ashton Agar start for the Aussies with the wily John Hastings and all-rounders Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Faulkner rounding up the bowling attack.

New Zealand:

New Zealand will be on a high after their emphatic victory over hosts India in the first game of the Super 10s. Their batsmen perished playing one shot too many but their bowlers brought them right in the game. Their spin-trio of Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, and Nathan McCullum shared nine wickets apiece to defend a low total of 126, however, one expects some changes in the bowling department due to the conditions on offer in Dharamshala.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee are expected to be back for this game. McCullum and Sodhi bowled brilliantly against India, however, are expected to make way for the two quick men. There is likely to be a toss-up between left-arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne who featured in Nagpur. Santner’s left-arm spin variation and his batting ability lower down the order make him a certainty in the playing XI. The batting lineup is likely to remain unchanged as the Kiwis look for a better effort with the willow.

Pitch and Conditions:

The weather forecast states a possibility of some showers in the afternoon. Both will pray for a full game and hope that the rain stays away from this highly anticipated match. Sunil Chauhan, the curator at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium told Cricket Australia he had prepared the “perfect T20 wicket.” He predicted the pitch would not spin as dramatically as the Nagpur wicket, nor as much as it did when it was used for matches in the qualifying stage of the tournament last week. He was asked if he would choose fast bowlers or spinners and pointed out that pace bowlers will make a bigger difference on the given conditions.

Form Guide: (Last five completed games most recent first)

Australia WWLLL

New Zealand WWWLW

Probable XI-

Australia: Shane Watson, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar, John Hastings.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Corey Anderson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne/ Mitchell McClenaghan, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.

Stats:

1. Tim Southee needs 4 wickets to complete 50 wickets in T20Is. He is New Zealand’s second highest wicket-taker in the shortest format behind Nathan McCullum who has 57 wickets.

2. David Warner holds the dubious distinction of being Australia’s highest T20I run-getter with 1595 runs as well as registering the most ducks, 5, in the shortest format.