Australia vs New Zealand: 5 things to look forward to

Australia and New Zealand, the co-hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup, face off at the Eden Park in Auckland on SaturdayAs India turn out on the field on Saturday to play against new entrants UAE at the Gabba, it won’t be a surprise if a major part of the 1.2 billion Indians have their eyes fixed at Eden Park in Auckland instead, as the two heavy weights from the Southern Hemisphere, Australia and New Zealand, face off in what promises to be a crucial encounter heading into the quarter finals of the marquee event.Here are 5 things to look forward to as the Black Caps host the Aussies in game number 20 of the World Cup:

#1 Favourites vs the dark horses

Coming into the 43-day tournament, cricketing experts from all over the world were divided with their predictions as to who would eventually go on to win the cup, but most were sure about the two host nations, Australia and New Zealand putting up a strong performance, with the kind of arsenal they have in their ranks.

While Australia, with betting odds of 13/8, are billed as the favourites to win the cup for a fifth time, NZ with odds of 7/2 can’t be written off either.

Blessed with an all-round team and a sound knowledge of the conditions which are on offer Down Under, the two teams already have a distinct advantage over the other nations and a victory on Saturday will provide the psychological edge to either team if the two meet again later on in the tournament.