New Zealand defeated England by nine wickets in the opening match of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
While Zealand lost an early wicket with Will Young being dismissed on his first ball, the team bounced back with partnership between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, both of whom scored centuries and added 273 unbeaten runs in 211 balls.
Devon Conway scored 152 runs off 121 balls, while Rachin Ravindra added 123 runs off 96 balls.
New Zealand was able to reach the target of 283 runs with 82 balls remaining.
Earlier, England showed an inconsistent batting performance with only Joe Root being able to score 77 runs and that too from 86 balls. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler (43) and Jonny Bairstow (33) ensured their side at least have a competitive total to defend.
New Zealand’s regular captain Kane Williamson and fast bowler Tim Southee were both missing from the game due to injuries to give them time to recover from surgery.
England’s Ben Stokes also missed out due to a minor hip injury.
Follow INCPAK on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram for updates.
