ENG vs NZ / New Zealand settled the score of 2019 - defeated England by 9 wickets

ENG vs NZ: Defending champion England had to suffer a crushing defeat by 9 wickets against New Zealand in the very first match of the World Cup 2023. With this victory, New Zealand also took revenge for the painful defeat suffered by England in the final of the 2019 World Cup. Then, even after the final and super over were tied at Lord's, England became the champion on the basis of boundary-count.

New Zealand won the toss and invited the British to bat at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The English team scored 282 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs. The target of 283 runs was achieved by New Zealand's top-3 batsmen in 36.2 overs. The team won the match by losing one wicket. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra scored unbeaten centuries. There was a record partnership of 273 runs between the two. Further match winners' performance, records, analysis and report...

Rachin Ravindra Player of the Match

Rachin Ravindra, who performed twice in the opening match, was the player of the match. He also took one wicket along with his unbeaten innings of 123 runs. The performance of New Zealand's match winners in further graphics

Top records of England-New Zealand opening match

For the first time in ODI history, all 11 batsmen of a team scored double digits. All 11 batsmen of England scored double digits in this match. This happened for the first time in the history of ODI cricket.

World Cup's biggest partnership in run chase: Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra made the biggest partnership in World Cup history in run chase. The pair added 273 unbeaten runs. The Kiwi pair broke the record of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga in 2011. The Sri Lankan pair had made an unbeaten 231-run partnership in the 2011 World Cup.

New Zealand's openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra made an unbeaten partnership of 273 runs on 211 balls for the second wicket, the biggest partnership for New Zealand in the World Cup. The team lost the first wicket on the team score of 10 runs. This is the biggest partnership for New Zealand in the World Cup.

Ravindra scored the fastest century for New Zealand in the World Cup. Rachin Ravindra, ranked at number 3, has scored the fastest century for New Zealand in the World Cup. He completed his century on 82 balls.

Ravindra is the youngest New Zealand batsman to score a century in the World Cup. Rachin Ravindra has become the youngest New Zealand player to score a century in the World Cup.

Defending champion lost by two batsmen, Kiwi bowlers also showed amazing performance

The New Zealand team dominated from the first ball of the opening match. The British were first troubled by the Kiwi spinners and pacers. The remaining task was completed by openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. Or we can say that the defending champion team lost to two New Zealand batsmen – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra.

Actually, the Kiwi team, which came to chase the target of 283 runs, lost the first wicket (Will Young 0 runs) for 10 runs. It seemed then that the low-scoring match would be exciting, but Conway and Rachin's 273-run partnership dwarfed the English team's score.

Earlier, New Zealand's spinners were effective. 5 out of 9 wickets were taken by spin bowlers only. The remaining four wickets went to the pacers. Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner took two wickets each. Part timer Rachin Ravindra got one wicket. Medium pacer Matt Henry got 3 successes. Apart from Joe Root (77 runs) and captain Jos Buttler (43 runs), no other batsman could play a big innings for England.

Conway-Ravindra made an unbeaten 273-run partnership

After losing the first wicket for 10 runs, the pair of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra rescued New Zealand. Both have made a partnership of 200+ for the second wicket.

Conway's century in World Cup debut, 5th in ODIs

Kiwi opener Devon Conway scored a century in his World Cup debut match. This is his 5th century in ODI. Conway scored unbeaten 152 runs on 121 balls at a strike rate of 125.62. His innings included 19 fours and 3 sixes.

Rachin Ravindra's first century

Rachin Ravindra scored the first century of his ODI career. He scored runs on 96 balls at a strike rate of 128.12. Ravindra's innings included 11 fours and 5 sixes.

Powerplay: Great start for New Zealand

The Kiwi team, which set out to chase the target of 283 runs, made a fast start. The team has scored 81 runs for one wicket in the first 10 overs. The team's opener Will Young was out on zero on the first ball.

This is how New Zealand's first wicket fell...

Will Young- 0 Run: The first ball of the second over was bowled by Sam Curran towards the leg side on good length. Will Young went to flick, but was caught by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

England gave a target of 283 runs; Root's fifty, Henry took 3 wickets

England batted first after losing the toss at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and scored 282 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs.

Joe Root scored a half-century of 77 runs on 86 balls, while captain Jos Buttler scored 43 runs. Jonny Bairstow contributed 33 runs. Adil Rashid and Mark Wood made a partnership of 30 runs for the 10th wicket.

Matt Henry took 3 wickets for the Kiwi team. Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner got two wickets each. While Trent Boult and Rachin Ravindra took 1-1 wicket.

Powerplay: England scored 51 runs, lost one wicket. England had a mixed start in the first powerplay. The team scored 51 runs for one wicket in the first 10 overs. Bairstow is unbeaten on 31, while Dawid Malan is out after scoring 14 runs. He was caught by Matt Henry at the hands of Latham.

Joe Root scored 76 runs

English batsman Joe Root, who came to play at number-3, scored the 37th fifty of his ODI career. He completed half century on 57 balls. He became the victim of Glenn Phillips after scoring 77 runs on 86 balls.

England's wickets fell like this

First: David Malan - 14 runs: On the fourth ball of the 8th over, Matt Henry got David Malan caught by Tom Latham. Good length ball, wanted to upper cut it over the off stump, but the ball went with a light edge into the gloves of wicketkeeper Tom Latham.

Second: Jonny Bairstow - 33 runs: Mitchell Santner got caught by Daryl Mitchell on the 5th ball of the 13th over. Wanted to play towards extra cover, but was caught out at long off.

Third: Harry Brook- 25 runs: Rachin Ravindra got caught by Conway on the last ball of the 16th over. While trying to pull the short ball, he was caught at deep square leg.

Fourth: Moeen Ali- 11 runs: Glenn Phillips bowled the second ball of the 22nd over. Moeen Ali wanted to sweep the ball on off stump. He missed the ball and was bowled.

Fifth: Jos Buttler- 43 runs: Matt Henry got caught by Tom Latham on the second ball of the 34th over. The backoff length ball took the edge of the bat and reached the gloves of wicketkeeper Latham.

Sixth: Livingston- 20 runs: Trent Boult got caught by Matt Henry on the fifth ball of the 39th over. Livingston wanted to flick the ball towards leg, imitating Boult, but could not generate power and was caught by Henry at deep long-on.

Seventh: Joe Root- 77 runs: Glenn Phillips bowled on the second ball of the 41st over. Joe Root wanted to hit a reverse-sweep on Phillips' ball, but the ball went under the bat and entered the stumps.

Eighth: Chris Woakes - 11 runs: Will Young caught Mitchell Santner's ball on the last ball of the 45th over. Woakes wanted to hit over point but was caught out due to the leading edge.

Ninth: Sam Curran - 14 runs: Matt Henry got wicketkeeper Latham caught on the fourth ball of the 46th over. Curran wanted to hit a cut on the short ball outside off, but the ball edged and went into the hands of the wicketkeeper.

Playing-11 of both the teams

England: Jos Buttler (captain and wicketkeeper), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Liam Livingston, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood.

New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain and wicketkeeper), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.