India’s frequent opponents in 50-over format are Australia and Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Australia play South Africa and New Zealand (apart from India) more often than not. However, two top sides in New Zealand and South Africa (who were involved in a cliffhanger in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 semi-final) do not meet so frequently. Their last clash was in August 26, 2015. Since the last World Cup, both sides — among the top 8 teams — have played each other on 3 occasions. This makes the upcoming five-match ODI series between hosts New Zealand and South Africa a crackerjack of a battle. AB de Villiers-led South Africa have removed Australia from the No. 1 spot in ICC ODI rankings, ending their 26-month hiatus at the top. They will now be against a side who pose invaluable threat at home. Full Cricket Scorecard, New Zealand vs South Africa, 1st ODI, Hamilton
Recent success
Kane Williamsons’ side went through some tough times after the departure of swashbuckling batsman and skipper Brendon McCullum. They were thrashed in India and Australia in 2016 but gained momentum after returning home. Kiwis mauled their second visitors Bangladesh across formats, in a packed home season. Next in line were the Australians. The visitors met with similar fate to handover the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy to their Trans-Tasman rivals. Hence, New Zealand will be confident hosting an in-form South African side.
On the other hand, Proteas have struck a purple patch. Their fortunes changed after the memorable whitewash against Australia, at home, last year. They continued their rich form to earn their second consecutive whitewash against low-lying Sri Lankans. Proteas are the numero uno side in ODIs, but will be wary of the fact that all their recent glories have come at home. This will be a litmus test for the tourists to not only upset a formidable unit in their own backyard and register a series win abroad.
After all, being No. 1 is not the ultimate destination. It is an invitation of facing unprecedented challenges.
Numbers game
The last series between these two sides was in mid-2015. Black Caps traveled to the African nation for a three-match series. Proteas took the honours by wrapping up the series 2-1. On the other hand, when these two camps previously met in the windy conditions of New Zealand, it resulted in the best match of World Cup 2015 with Kiwis having the last laugh. To add to these numbers, visitors have an edge in the overall head-to-head encounters. They have won 38 and lost 22 out of the 65 games. Nonetheless, the equation again complicates by looking at the overall matches held in New Zealand. Hosts prevail with 10 wins and 9 defeats in 22 matches in their own den. Therefore, there is not much to separate these two powerhouse sides, which are slated to meet after a long gap.
Key players
De Villiers is a key player albeit any format or condition. He will pounce on New Zealand’s small grounds. Faf du Plessis is in great touch along with Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock. The trio will be expected to lay a solid foundation at the start. JP Duminy and David Miller will fancy their chances in death overs, but the latter may face challenges when the ball starts doing a bit. Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir will spearhead the bowling attack, but they will face a stiff challenge containing batsmen amidst such shorter boundaries. Tahir will be the bowler to look out for after he rattled Kiwis with a 5-for in the only T20I at Auckland.
Kiwis will be without the services of Martin Guptill for the first two ODIs. Nonetheless, the onus will fall on Williamson, Colin Munro, veteran player Ross Taylor and star seamers such as Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Kiwis’ pace battery looks more polished who will be up against some of the hard-hitters of white-ball cricket.
Captain speaks
“There’s a reason why we’re No. 1 and that’s because we’re playing good cricket. We’ve got a bit of unfinished business there from the 2015 World Cup and we’re very keen to play good cricket against a team that has also been playing well”, quoted de Villiers.
The above statement is more than a warning to what is in store for the hosts. Proteas have fared well in their last few tours to the country and will be raring to showcase their best and maintain supremacy in ODI rankings. They have already started the tour on a high with a 78-run win in the one-off T20I on Friday. Proteas will surely put a price on their coveted position in the ODI rankings coming into this series. Overall, a riveting contest awaits on Sunday morning, which will kick start a promising series.
Squads:
New Zealand:
Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor
South Africa:
AB de Villiers (c), Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi
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