India vs New Zealand Prediction: Who will win today's T20 World Cup 2021 match?
The 2019 World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand doesn't feel like it happened too long ago. Chalk it down to a cricket-absent pandemic-enforced off-season, or an abundance of franchise leagues that have diluted the international calendar, or even the sheer magnitude of the clash that saw the Blackcaps pile on another installment of ICC heartbreak on India.
But the two days over which the semi-final was played and all that happened during the gripping sessions of cricket are still fresh in memory. Ravindra Jadeja's spectacular fielding, the Indian top order's stunning collapse, MS Dhoni's unfortunate run-out - the list goes on. Many of the same personnel will be involved on Sunday, October 31 when India and New Zealand face off in the 2021 T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium.
This game may not have the term "semi-final" attached to it, but that shouldn't take anything away from how important it really is. Both India and New Zealand have been humbled by Group 2 table-toppers Pakistan already, and another loss would set them back significantly in the semi-final race. Moreover, the last thing the Men in Blue would want is another heartbreaking loss to New Zealand, who will in turn look to keep their ICC streak against India going.
The T20 World Cup has already shown that all streaks are meant to be broken, but New Zealand will hope that they can live to fight another day in the tournament. With Afghanistan also showing real signs of danger, India and New Zealand will know that anything but a win would hint at an early flight out of the UAE.
T20 World Cup 2021: Group 2 qualification on the line as pressure outlines another India-New Zealand encounter
India can't afford the infamous 30 minutes of bad cricket against New Zealand. Needless to say, they can't afford hours of bad cricket, the kind they played against Pakistan to be crushed by 10 wickets. Meanwhile, the Kiwis need to find a way to make up for the absence of Lockie Ferguson, who has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup with injury.
But even apart from Ferguson, New Zealand have a few problems to contend with. Their opening combination, which featured Daryl Mitchell last time around, doesn't really inspire confidence. Devon Conway was shunted down the order despite being their best batter over the last year or so, while some comical errors in the middle led to key wickets being lost at crucial intervals.
Ish Sodhi bowled well, but New Zealand lacked the cutting edge they needed against Pakistan. A recall for Adam Milne, who wormed his way into the squad after Ferguson was ruled out, could be in order. Others like Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips will want to set their recent indifferent form straight, but it won't be easy against a decent Indian bowling attack.
Hardik Pandya bowling for 20-odd minutes in the nets has become a major topic of discussion in the lead-up to the New Zealand match, epitomizing how much India have struggled to find a sixth bowler in the recent past. Varun Chakravarthy's first high-profile match didn't go entirely to plan, but he should be retained in the playing XI.
The only area of concern for India is in the form of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been a shadow of his former self over the last few months. The wicket-taking prowess of Shardul Thakur could prompt the team management to look past their veteran swing bowler and trust the Mumbai-born maverick to come up with the game-changing displays that have become a norm for his cricket of late.
KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, who were brushed aside by Shaheen Shah Afridi, will want to spend some time in the middle. But things won't get much easier against the likes of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who can get the ball to talk even when it prefers to be entirely silent.
While New Zealand are a talented T20I side, they just don't have the right balance right now. Weaknesses in both departments and the lack of an established batting order are factors that go against the Blackcaps, who were whitewashed by India last year in a five-match T20I series.
India, who will be well-rested after a rather unusually long break, can be backed to overcome the Pakistan aberration and notch up their first points of the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
Prediction: India to win Match 28 of the T20 World Cup