World Cup 2023, ENG vs NZ: Defending champions England and 2019 runners-up New Zealand will be locking horns in the opening match of ICC World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5. The two giants, who gave it their all for the World title four years ago, will restart the proceedings in the sporting spectacle in India.
However, the two teams are set to miss a few big stars for the first game. New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Tim Southee will not be part of the tournament opener, while England's Ben Stokes is also doubtful for the game against the Blackcaps. Ahead of the England vs New Zealand opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here is all you need to know about the pitch report of the venue.
Narendra Modi Stadium pitch report
There are different types of pitches at the Narendra Modi Stadium - red soil, black soil and a mixture of the two. The conditions are helpful for both the batter and the bowlers as the red soil one offers bounce and spin too. The black ones tend to stay a bit low but don't offer that much turn. There have been some totals scored at the venue and it was very evident in the IPL 2023.
Ahmedabad weather
The weather in Ahmedabad is clear for the day. There is no probability of rain coming down. The weather conditions are expected to be hazy around 32 degrees in the morning and 35 degrees in the afternoon.
Probable Playing XIs
England:
Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes/Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c,wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
New Zealand:
Devon Conway, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c,wk), Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham/Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson
