NZ vs PAK Pitch Report: New Zealand (NZ) are all set to lock horns against Pakistan (PAK) in the very crucial game in World Cup 2023 at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, November 4. Both teams remain in the hunt for the semifinal qualification and a potential win will boost their chances significantly. New Zealand are still inside the top four as they stay on fourth with 8 points in 7 games, while Pakistan are in sixth with 6 points in as many games.
Pakistan returned to winning ways after losing four consecutive games. They beat Bangladesh by seven wickets to register their third win of the tournament and need to win the remaining games to remain alive in the race for the semifinal. They have recorded four wins in their last five ODI encounters against New Zealand and are favourites to win this match.
On the other hand, New Zealand suffered a huge 190-run defeat against South Africa in their last match. They are placed in the fourth position in the points table with a positive net run rate but are facing various injury issues due to their bowling attack. Captain Kane Williamson is tipped to make a return from a thumb injury while in-form speedster Matt Henry is ruled out of the tournament entirely.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru Pitch Report
The surface at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium has a balanced surface in white-ball cricket. There is a strong weather forecast for rain during the game and the chances of a 50-over game are very slim. Batters usually enjoy high scores at this venue and fans can expect a thrilling encounter on Saturday. Captains are likely to prefer to bowl first as rain and DLS factors might impact the result of the game.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium Records and Stats
Total ODI Matches: 40
Matches won batting first: 15
Matches won bowling first: 21
Average first innings score: 233
Average second innings score: 216
Highest total scored: 383/6 by India vs Australia
Highest score chased: 329/7 by Ireland vs England
Lowest total recorded: 114/10 by India Women vs South Africa Women
Lowest total defended: 166/4 by India vs England
New Zealand World Cup squad: Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (vc & wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, James Neesham, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson
Pakistan World Cup squad: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan (vc), Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali
