Subhradeep
- Oct 28, 2023
- 5 min read

CWC 2023, AUS vs NZ: Kiwis fight hard but lose; Australia stay at number 4

CWC 2023, Australia vs New Zealand: David Warner-Travis Head's 175-run stand, Rachin Ravindra's 116 and Glenn Phillips' 3-37 are top performances. Australia beat New Zealand and stay at no. 4 in points table.

CWC 2023, Australia vs New Zealand: Australia beat New Zealand in a close encounter | Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©Twitter) — Australia beat New Zealand in a close encounter (Photo: ©Twitter)

Brief Scores: AUS 388 (Head 109, Warner 81, Phillips 3/30) beat NZ 383/9 (Ravindra 116, Neesham 58, Zampa 3/74) by 5 runs.

Player of the match: Travis Head (109 runs in 67 balls)

New Zealand and James Neesham tried their best with some late big hitting, but his run out at the end kept NZ a shot behind the winning margin. Like their previous three occasions, Australia again flexed their muscles to crack some big shots to surpass another 350+ total in this campaign.

Australia came into this encounter after three consecutive victories, while New Zealand looked to get back to winning ways. Both sides met at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.

Australia had a strong 8-3 head-to-head over New Zealand in ODI WCs.

Talking point: Australia looked consistent with aggressive batting

Australia, for three consecutive games, looked solid with the bat. The top order has given them huge scores, unlike the first two games they lost. Steve Smith’s lack of runs could be a concern, but he, too, looked decent in the last game. The consistent batting will take higher in the campaign.

Ominous Australia held their nerve for one wicket victory

After winning the toss, the New Zealand captain, Tom Latham, opted to bowl first. He was expecting some early swing from the surface. Recovered Travis Head returned for Australia in place of Cameron Green, while New Zealand left out injured Mark Chapman for James Neesham.

Australia went off to a savage start, on the back of the 175-run opening stand between David Warner and Travis Head, to reach 177/1 in 20 overs. New Zealand fought back with regular intervals to squeeze them to 292/5 in 40 overs. Some big shots at the end propelled Australia to 388 all-out in 49.2 overs.

New Zealand, after a decent start, lost two consecutive wickets before the 96-run third wicket stand carried them to 171/3 in 25 overs. Rachin Ravindra’s supreme century kept them in the hunt, taking them to 292/5 in 40 overs. Neesham tried his best with a 58-run knock, but Australia held their nerve for the five-run victory.

Top three performances from the Australia vs New Zealand game in CWC 2023

CWC 2023, Australia vs New Zealand_ Travis Head-David Warner added 175-run for the first wicket against New Zealand _ Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©Twitter) — Head-Warner added 175-run for the first wicket (Photo: ©Twitter)

Courageous Warner-Head, 175 run opening stand, gave Australia a solid platform

Warner and Head provided Australia with some rollicking starts in the recent past, and against New Zealand, they did it again in a brutal mode. Warner crunched Matt Henry for two back-to-back fours in the opening before smacking him over deep square leg for a six.

Travis Head nailed Henry for two fours over wide mid-off before smashing him over deep mid-wicket for a six. Warner cut Lockie Ferguson for two sixes through cover and third-man region to celebrate his 32nd ODI fifty in 28 balls. Head pulled Mitchell Santner for a boundary over deep mid-wicket to reach his 16th ODI fifty in 25 balls.

Australia cracked 175 runs in 19 overs when Warner was dismissed on 81, shouldering on five boundaries and six over boundaries to now have 6810 ODI runs in 156 games. Head, on the other end, used his feet to lift Rachin Ravindra over cow corner for a six before driving him over wide long-on to record his fourth ODI century in 59 balls. He was sent back on 109 with 10 fours and seven sixes to have 2173 ODI runs in 59 games.

CWC 2023, Australia vs New Zealand_ Rachin Ravindra scored hundred against Australia _ Walking Wicket (Photo_ ©Twitter) — Rachin Ravindra scored hundred against Australia (Photo: ©Twitter)

Ravindra kept NZ in the hunt with 116 run knock

Rachin Ravindra has been in fabulous touch in the World Cup, and he backed it with another century in a vital game. He pulled Mitchell Starc over fine leg for a boundary. The left-handed batter used his feet to punish Adam Zampa for two back-to-back boundaries before reaching his fifty with a six over long leg.

He pulled Mitchell Marsh over deep square leg for a six before thumping Pat Cummins for the same result over long-off. With another six, swept over deep mid-wicket, Ravindra celebrated his second century of the campaign in 77 balls. He was finally dismissed on 116 in 89 balls, shouldering on nine fours and five sixes now to have 406 runs in six innings of CWC 2023.

Phillips kept it tight with 3/30 in the high-scoring affair

Glenn Phillips has been excellent for New Zealand with the ball, bowling those middle overs silently without much damage. He broke the opening stand, sending back Warner (81), who drove the straight ball back to the bowler. Phillips also sent back Head (109) with a slower delivery that missed the inside edge of Head and disturbed the middle stump.

Steve Smith (18), looking to go over the mid-off fielder inside the ring, was caught in the hands of that fielder. Phillips ended with magical figures of 3/30 in 10 overs to now have 12 ODI scalps in 16 innings.

Statistical highlights from Australia vs New Zealand, Dharamshala, CWC 2023

Australia’s 118 runs in the first powerplay (Over 1 to 10) is the highest score in the period by a team in CWC 2023.
The 175-run stand between Warner and Head is Australia’s second-highest opening in ODIs against New Zealand.
388 was Australia’s ninth 350+ team total in ODI WCs, the most by any team.
Travis Head has scored 313 runs in six innings against New Zealand with three fifties and one century.
Head has nailed Matt Henry for 37 unbeaten ODI runs in 22 balls with three fours and three sixes with a strike rate 168.2.
388 is the third-highest innings total for Australia in ODI WCs.
The 96-run stand between Ravindra and Mitchell was New Zealand’s highest third-wicket stand against Australia in WCs.
Rachin Ravindra is the fourth NZ batter, after Glenn Turner, Martin Guptill, and Kane Willamson, to have scored two hundreds in a single WC edition.
Adam Zampa is the leading wicket-taker (16) in CWC 2023.
383 is now New Zealand’s highest second-innings team total in the ODI WCs.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Points Table

Points table scenario & what’s to come

Australia boosted its NRR to +0.970 to stay in fourth place, and NZ remained in third position with an NRR of +1.232.

Unbeaten India will take on wounded England on October 29 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.