New Zealand vs. Australia : THE OPENING ENCOUNTER || 1st T20I
New Zealand vs. Australia 2021
1st T20I – Mon, 22nd February
Poised New Zealand:
The New Zealand international season continues with Kane Williamson and the team thrusting off their path to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The Kiwis have chosen a strong team with the likes of Kyle Jamieson, and Trent Boult set to showcase.
However, the batting squad will be in the limelight, with Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips eyeing to develop on their latest achievements for the Blackcaps. The home turf should play at their hands to make a mark in T20 after a successful Test season.
Possible playing XI: Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (WK), James Neesham, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Ish Sodhi.
Reshuffled Australia:
Australia has called a somewhat inexperienced squad for this run. However, Aaron Finch has a brilliant side to fall on, with Josh Philippe and Jhye Richardson anticipated to play a massive part in this series. With quite a few speedsters also eyeing to seal their spot in the team, there’s a lot at risk apart from the highly awaited series itself.
Possible playing XI: Aaron Finch (C), Matt Wade (WK), Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar, Jhye Richardson, Daniel Sams/Andrew Tye, Josh Philippe, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Kane Richardson.
The venue, Pitch Report, and Toss Prediction:
The first T20I game between Australia and New Zealand will be played at the Hagley Oval on Monday 22nd February.
A flat and hard batting wicket gestures at the Hagley Oval, with the ground’s size also playing into the batsmen’s favour. However, the speedsters will get the ball to move around a bit at the outset, making for equal competition.
The spin bowlers will need to be sharper with their lines and lengths to get the best out of this wicket. Both sides will want to chase on upon winning the toss, with 175 being a viable total at the Hagley Oval.
Tops Value:
The Blackcaps might hold the benefit heading into this series given the home circumstances and exceptional depth in their squad. But one cannot take the Aussies for granted irrespective of the setup or the instances. With both teams looking to land the first hit in this series, a captivating match summons at the Hagley Oval.
Despite the home conditions, the sportsbooks put Australia as the favourites at the odds of 1.76 before the game begins. The Kiwis start their campaign at the odds of 2.00.
We believe Kane Williamson of the home team and Matthew Wade of Australia will be the top performers to look for. Kane isn’t somebody who would go for exaggerated strokes. But holds the key in rotating strikes, which could prove vital against the lethal Australian pace attack. Whereas Matthew Wade has displayed some blistering knocks in the recent edition of BBL. No doubt, he is in glorious flair with the willow in hand.
