2023 World Cup: Predicting 3 players who could pick up the most wickets in today’s India vs New Zealand match ft. Jasprit Bumrah
The last time India and New Zealand played each other in an ODI World Cup, needless to say, it was a match decided by the bowlers.
On a green pitch in Manchester with the typical damp weather, the ball swung both ways (and moved further off the wicket) as India kept the Kiwis down to a sub-par 239/8. Well, that's at least what they thought.
In the second innings, Trent Boult and Matt Henry reduced them to an infamous 5/3 and then 24/4. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya scored 30s and Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni built a solid partnership. Although not without faults, it took the game deep until the fast bowlers returned and affected the killer blows.
Today's match between the two teams has a similar premise. It's a contest of two of the best bowling attacks of the 2023 World Cup at a Dharamshala pitch that has been the best suited for bowling so far.
So let's try and predict the three bowlers who can pick up the most wickets today according to history, form, and conditions and see where that gets us:
#3 Trent Boult
If while opening this article and reading through the first few lines you didn't think, "I am pretty sure Trent Boult will be here", you need to up your cricket knowledge.
Why is that? Well, Boult is a left-arm swing bowler with pace for starters. He has taken 24 wickets against India at an average of 24.58. Fans, commentators, and even general observers watching him bowl the first over of India's innings today would have their eyes on Rohit Sharma's toes more than the bowler himself.
Apart from that, he has a lot of experience bowling in India and bowls in all phases of the match. Boult has bowled supremely well this World Cup too and looks due for a wickets. If they don't come against India's top order in friendly conditions, they might do the lower-order which has been weakened by Hardik Pandya's injury.
To be honest, it was a pretty tough choice between him and Henry, who is in even better form and was more destructive in Dharamshala. Don't be surprised if there's a close friendly competition in bowling the more lethal deliveries in the powerplay.
#2 Mitchell Santner
New Zealand's lead spinner Mitchell Santner has truly come to his own in ODIs over the last couple of years. He has a set role - come to bowl after the powerplay and bowl spells of three or four overs each till around the 44-45 over mark.
His bowling is like that too. There are no fancy variations, no substantial breath-taking turn, and no ball-of-the-day wickets. He just bowls it in the right areas, asking the batters to go after him, and beats them with his pace.
This helps him pick wickets even in fast-bowling-friendly conditions, like in Dharamshala in 2019, where he got rid of both Pant and Pandya. With that, he's currently the highest wicket-taker of the 2023 World Cup with 11 wickets at an average of 15.09.
Although Santner's skill is good enough against both right-handers and left-handers, India's right-handers have had a left-arm spin problem for a long time. Just look at the 2023 Asia Cup league match against Sri Lanka.
India will likely only have one left-hander in Jadeja today. Plus, they might look to take on Santner more after carefully seeing off Boult and Henry which could lead to a big haul for the Chennai Super Kings spinner.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah
The only bowler with a better average than Santner in this World Cup is India's pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah. He has 10 wickets at a scary 13.40 apiece.
In fact, he fulfills all the factors we have used so far: Favorable conditions? Check. Recent form? Check. Good numbers against New Zealand? Check. In that Dharamshala match, he only picked up one wicket - Martin Guptill - but had Ross Taylor's catch dropped at slips and deserved a few more for the way he bowled.
He's even better now. His lengths have been as consistent as ever and he has been picking wickets with swing, seam movement, slower balls, and yorkers.
New Zealand have one of the most technically brilliant batting orders in the World Cup, even without Kane Williamson. But if there's one fast bowler who can use the Dharamshala conditions well and return with a big wicket-taking spell against them today, it's Bumrah.