Team India will look to continue their winning form when they take on New Zealand in a blockbuster ICC World Cup 2019 group stage encounter at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Thursday.

Both teams have been in imperious form as New Zealand have won their opening three matches while India have won two in as many games. The ‘Men in Blue’ will look for their third straight win against table-toppers in their bid to get a step closer to securing a place in the next round. ((ICC World Cup 2019: Full Coverage))

Let’s take a look at some important player battles that could decide the outcome of the match –

Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult

Opener Rohit Sharma has been in good form but he is likely to find it difficult against his old nemesis Trent Boult. Rohit has faced 136 deliveries from the left-arm pacer in ODIs and has managed to score just 88 runs. Also, Boult has dismissed the Indian vice-captain four times in previous encounters.

Virat Kohli vs Lockie Ferguson

New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson has been one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament and he will pose a big threat for the India batsmen with his pace and guile. He is likely to come face-to-face against Virat Kohli, who is in good form with the blade as well. Ferguson has bowled 36 deliveries to Kohli in the past and has conceded 45 runs and has gotten rid of the Indian skipper once before.

Colin Munro vs Jasprit Bumrah

Opener Colin Munro will have to face the pace of Jasprit Bumrah in order to score runs early on against India. He has faced 35 deliveries from India’s premier pacer in the past and scored just 23 runs. Meanwhile, Bumrah has dismissed Munro once before and would be eager to do the same in the upcoming clash.

Also Read: Kohli and Co sweat it out in the nets ahead of New Zealand clash

Martin Guptill vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Another interesting battle to keep an out for is the tussle between Martin Guptill and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The right hander has faced 151 deliveries from Bhuvi in ODIs and has scored 130 runs. But Guptill has been dismissed by the Bhuvneshwar four times and that is a major cause of concern for the Kiwi opener.

Kane Williamson vs Yuzvendra Chahal

Skipper Kane Williamson’s wicket holds the key for New Zealand’s middle-order and Indian bowlers will look to exploit that early on in the innings. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal holds a good record against the right-hander and expect him to come into the attack once Williamson is in the middle. Off 69 Chahal deliveries, Williamson has scored 53 runs and has been dismissed by the spinner twice.

First Published: Jun 12, 2019 21:36 IST