WI Vs NZ 1st ODI
West Indies is poised to host New Zealand for a three-match ODI series, the first of which will be played on August 17, following a disappointing T20I series. As the hosts avoided a potential whitewash, the visitors won the T20I series by a score of 2-1. However, the hosts will now attempt to fight back in the 50-over matches to prevent the visitors from winning the ODI series.
On the other side, the last few ODI matches have not gone well for West Indies. In July, they played against a subpar India team and struggled miserably, losing the series 0-3 overall. They faced a clean sweep over Bangladesh before taking on the Men in Blue, who had previously defeated the Men in Maroon 0-3 as well. Therefore, West Indies are supported by a string of ODI series losses, and the upcoming series will be extremely important for them.
How the pitch will play?
Both bowlers and batters have found support on the Kensington Oval pitch. 20 of the 45 One Day Internationals played here were won defending, while 23 were won chasing. It will be difficult for the sides batting first to reach a large total because the pitch does not have significant scoring potential. Given that first-inning runs average 229, a score of anywhere close to 250 would be a winning total.
What to expect in the middle?
If WI performs as per their caliber then it will be a good sign for the team as well for the cricket lovers. West Indies can score in between 65 to 70 runs in the first ten overs.
While New Zealand could post 70 to 75 runs on board during the power play overs.
Given the caliber of their batsmen, West Indies can score 75 to 80 runs in the last few overs. On the other side, New Zealand may also score 75 to 80 runs in the final 10 overs.
The West Indies may exceed their 50-over quota by 280-290. New Zealand, however, has a scoring range of between 320 and 330 runs.
WI vs NZ Probable XIs:
West Indies XI
Brandon King, Shamrah Brooks, Shi Hope, Kyle Mayers, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, Gundakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph
New Zealand XI
Martin Guptill, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson
WI vs NZ 1st ODI: Who Will Win?
Due to their impressive 2-1 victory over the hosts in the T20I series last week, New Zealand is feeling confident and would like to continue the winning trend by winning the opening ODI of the series on Wednesday.
West Indies, who have had difficulties lately, will try to get back on track by beginning their ODI series with a victory as well. It will be difficult to predict who will win the first ODI because both sides appear to be strong on paper, but based on both teams’ prior results, one may argue that New Zealand has an advantage over West Indies.
