"Need to change my prediction" - Virender Sehwag removes England from his top 4 after humiliating loss in 2023 World Cup opener vs NZ
Former India opener Virender Sehwag had opined that defending champions England would qualify for the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup.
Sehwag, however, changed his prediction after Jos Buttler and Co. suffered a thrashing in the opening game against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 5.
The Blackcaps secured a thumping nine-wicket win, successfully chasing down the 283-run target in just 36.2 overs with nine wickets in hand. England's net run rate stands at -2.149.
Sehwag pointed out that England will have to win one of their remaining games by a huge margin to get their net run rate back on track. In a video shared by Cricbuzz on YouTube, the cricketer-turned-commentator explained:
"I had kept England in my top four, but I think I need to change my prediction now. Yes, they can lose two matches and still make it to the semi-finals. However, their net run rate has taken a massive hit. So, they will need to beat another team by a big margin."
Most English batters failed to convert their starts. Joe Root was the top performer for them with the bat, scoring 77 runs. For New Zealand, Devon Conway (152*) and Rachin Ravindra (123*) notched up fine unbeaten centuries to take their team home.
Sehwag pointed out that the downfall of England's batters was due to their shot selection. He added:
"The wicket didn't change; New Zealand just batted better. The England batters' shot selection was poor. New Zealand, on the other hand, lost just one wicket. The two batters remained till the end because their shot selection was very good. That made a big difference. I'd say that we have already seen one upset in this World Cup, and they also took revenge for the 2019 World Cup final."
Conway and Ravindra stitched together a stellar unbeaten partnership of 273 runs for the second wicket, the highest-ever for the team in World Cup history.
"What impressed me the most was his intent" - Zaheer Khan on Devon Conway's knock vs England
During the same discussion, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan reserved high praise for New Zealand opener Devon Conway. He lauded the southpaw for his positive intent with the bat.
Khan highlighted that while batters struggled in the first half of the match, Conway managed to play attacking cricket throughout his innings. He also suggested that the batter is well-versed in Indian conditions, thanks to his stint with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
He remarked:
"What impressed me the most was his intent. You saw how the batters struggled to get going in the first half. In such cases, you can play to attack early on when the ball is hard. However, to maintain the same tempo throughout the innings was just unbelievable. He has scored a lot of runs in India. He plays a lot in Chennai, so he knows what to expect."
New Zealand will next take on the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday, October 9.