Australia vs New Zealand: 5 things to look forward to

Australia and New Zealand, the co-hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup, face off at the Eden Park in Auckland on SaturdayAs India turn out on the field on Saturday to play against new entrants UAE at the Gabba, it won’t be a surprise if a major part of the 1.2 billion Indians have their eyes fixed at Eden Park in Auckland instead, as the two heavy weights from the Southern Hemisphere, Australia and New Zealand, face off in what promises to be a crucial encounter heading into the quarter finals of the marquee event.Here are 5 things to look forward to as the Black Caps host the Aussies in game number 20 of the World Cup:

#1 Favourites vs the dark horses

Coming into the 43-day tournament, cricketing experts from all over the world were divided with their predictions as to who would eventually go on to win the cup, but most were sure about the two host nations, Australia and New Zealand putting up a strong performance, with the kind of arsenal they have in their ranks.

While Australia, with betting odds of 13/8, are billed as the favourites to win the cup for a fifth time, NZ with odds of 7/2 can’t be written off either.

Blessed with an all-round team and a sound knowledge of the conditions which are on offer Down Under, the two teams already have a distinct advantage over the other nations and a victory on Saturday will provide the psychological edge to either team if the two meet again later on in the tournament.

#2 Battle between the pinch hitters

New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum en route his 25 ball 77 against England

Along with South Africa, the Kiwis and the Kangaroos can boast of having a batting order capable of tearing apart any bowling line-up on their day.

Besides NZ captain Brendon McCullum, whose assault against England, where he literally hammered away to a 25 ball 77, is still fresh in minds, the Aussie bowlers will also be wary of Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Corey Anderson, who are coming into the game with sufficient runs against their name. Williamson, regarded by many as the most talented youngster to watch out for, already has 2556 runs in 63 innings, establishing himself to be a crucial member of the batting squad.

Corey Anderson, with a half century in this tournament, held the record for the fastest 100 off 36 balls against West Indies, before South African AB de Villiers broke the record early this year. Coming down the order, Anderson is more than handy at the death overs and if Ross Taylor, who has had a quiet tournament so far, gets going, nothing can stop the Black Caps from piling on the runs.

Aaron Finch celebrates his century against England in Australia’s opening game of the WC

No matter what the score is, trust the Aussie batsmen to chase it down. Openers David Warner and Aaron Finch, who scored the tournament’s first 100 when he scored 135 in 128 deliveries against England, make their intentions clear from the very start of the innings- pulling and smashing whatever comes their way. If either one goes out early, the Australians have Steve Smith, another promising youngster tipped by many to be the player to watch out for in this tournament, Brad Haddin and Glenn Maxwell to bail the team out of trouble.

Bolstered by the return of Michael Clarke, whose comeback from injury was delayed after the game against Bangladesh was washed out, the batting lineup comprises players who can steady the innings as well as ‘smash’ their way to a match winning total and this battle between the batsmen of both the teams promises to be an enthralling affair.

#3 Which bowler will swing it his way?

After the batsmen, it’s time to focus on the bowlers with both sides comprising seamers who can swing the match their way.

Australian new-ball bowler Mitchell Starc generates pace and bounce courtesy his height, with the uncanny ability to bring the ball back into the right hander. He already has 63 wickets in 34 matches played and he combines beautifully with Mitchell Johnson, another left hander, who relies heavily on pace and swing, to give his team the early breakthrough.One would be foolish to assume that the threat is over after the two opening bowlers finish their spell for the Aussies have youngsters like Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins in their ranks.

Tim Southee celebrates the wicket of Ian Bell, the first of his 7 wickets against England

If the Aussies have serious pace, their neighbours rely on swing with Tim Southee having the ability to generate late outswing at a good pace. He became the most successful bowler from the country when he picked up 7 wickerts against England earlier in the tournament, giving away just 33 runs and he poses a serious threat to the Aussie batting order.Trent Boult and Adam Milne have a combined wicket haul of 8 wickets in their 3 WC games till now and have proved to be the perfect foil for Southee.

In a battle of pacers do not write off Daniel Vettori, the old workhorse who has, it seems, been picking up wickets for as long as one can remember. Going about his work silently, he has been touted as the world’s best spinner alongside Muttiah Muralitharan. The bespecled Dan, playing his last WC, has picked up 296 wickets in 271 innings and he would look to bow out on a high in front of his home crowd.

#4 Winner tops the league

The washout between Australia and Bangladesh, with both teams sharing a point, has ensured that while determining the leaders of Group A, in all probability, the run rate won’t come into consideration.

NZ sit pretty at the top pf the table with 6 points in 3 games and play Australia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in their remaining matches. They can top the group with maximum points of 12 if they manage to remain unbeaten in the group stage.

Australia, who would be ruing the missed opportunity of bagging full points against Bangladesh, can go up to 11 points at the most, if they manage to notch up wins in the next 4 games they play.

It is to be noted that the leaders of the groups will have the advantage of playing the 4th ranked team of the other group in the quarters. Going by current form, the leaders of Group A look all set to play either Ireland or Pakistan in the next stage of the evnt. (That is, if Pakistan mange to turn things around!)

#5 Numbers Game

The uncharacteristic slow pitch at Auckland makes Vettori the man to watch out for on Saturday

It would be interesting to note that NZ have a clear advantage going into the game – they are playing at Auckland with a boisterous sellout crowd of 50,000 cheering them on. Although they have lost more games than they have won at this venue (Lost-34, Won-29), the uncharacteristic slow pitch on offer makes Daniel Vettori the player to watch out for in this match. He has picked up 12 wickets in the 7 games played against the Aussies at Eden Park at an average of 21.83.

The Aussies, on the other hand, have won 11 of the 16 games played at the venue and enjoy a 6-2 head to head over their neighbours in World Cup’s, but one thing is for sure that all these facts will come to naught when the two meet on Saturday, in what promises to be a high-intense affair.