Kiwis eye another upset but Australia battle-ready

New Zealand are on a high having shocked tournament favourites and hosts India in their campaign opener. Their batsmen may have found the going difficult in the first match but the bowlers brought them right into the game. 

The spin-trio of Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum shared nine wickets among them to comfortably defend a low total of 126. The Kiwis made a statement of sorts with their 47-run win over the famed Indian outfit. 

And if the pitch at HPCA offers turn, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who made a bold decision by dropping pace duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult against India, will continue with same spin trio. The turn that the New Zealand spinners extracted from the Wankhede surface during the warm-ups surprised the Australians, according to veteran all-rounder Shane Watson, who had called it “incredible”. 

However, Australia have always been an indomitable side, especially in big events like the World Cup, and they too will fancy their chances in the Super 10 Group 2 match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium.

Bruised and battered by the Chris Gayle mauling, England are faced with a mustwin situation as they look ways to contain South Africa in their ICC World Twenty20 match here on Friday. Shell-shocked by Gayle’s record 47-ball century, England are required to win against the Proteas, to whom they lost 0-2 in the tune-up to the tournament, if they are to progress to the semi finals from Group 1.  

The 2010 champions’ under-fire bowlers and fielders will be up against a strong rival batting line-up comprising the innovative A B de Villiers - holder of the world’s fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODIs, big-hitting David Miller and the solidity of captain Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and J P Duminy. The key, perhaps, would be how effectively England’s spinners - Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali - can perform after being sent to the cleaners by the big-swinging bat of Gayle who struck successive sixes into the top tiers of the Wankhede stadium off both these slow bowlers.