New Zealand, England to face off in 2023 ICC World Cup opener today

The world of cricket is buzzing with excitement as the 2023 ICC World Cup is returning to India after a long span of 12 years. Today marks the beginning of this thrilling cricket journey.

Fans are in for a treat as England Vs New Zealand are to face off today at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.

History echoes in Ahmedabad, remembering the Wills World Cup in 1996. About three decades back, England and New Zealand were pitted against each other at what was then called the Sardar Patel Stadium for a world cup opener. In the nail-biting match, NZ had emerged victorious after defeating England by 11 runs.

In terms of their head-to-head records, England and New Zealand have played 95 ODIs against each other. The rivalry could not have been closer, with England securing victory 44 times, and New Zealand winning 45 matched. Total of four matches ended without a result while two resulted in ties.

Their dramatic clash at the 2019 ICC World Cup finals can be vividly recalled. The match had ended in a tie. England managed to clinch the title by using the boundary count-back rule after the super over.

Let’s take a look at the pitch and weather conditions for today’s match.

As for the pitch report at Narendra Modi Stadium, bowlers are expected to have the upper hand. Due to the favourable conditions for pacers, captains who win the toss, typically choose to bowl first here. Batsmen might find it challenging to score freely. The average first innings score over here is about 212.

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In terms of the weather, Ahmedabad is set to witness hot and humid conditions on October 5, with temperatures soaring up to 35 degree Celsius and humidity levels rising to 73 percent. Some weather forecasts predict minimal rainfall as well.

As far as predictions are concerned, England is known at the world champions of defending and is certainly geared up to retain this title. Google’s win probability suggests a 64 percent chance of England emerging victorious in the opening match of 2023 ICC world cup.