AHMEDABAD: It was a rematch of the thrilling 2019 ODI World Cup final at Lord's which they had lost to England due to a dubious boundary countback rule, and, if New Zealand had revenge in their minds, they got it in ample measure, after four years of wait!
In the opening match of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the sparsely-attended Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday night, the Black Caps first did well to restrict England to 282 for nine in 50 overs despite being down by two key pace bowlers, after choosing to field first. With opener Devon Conway (152 not out, 121b, 19x4, 3x6) and surprise hero Rachin Ravindra (123 not out, 96b, 11x4, 5x6) blazing away to magnificent centuries, the Kiwis hunted down the target by the 37th over, romping to a nine-wicket win with 82 balls to spare.
