Bolstered by Williamson's return, New Zealand look to make it three in three

New Zealand have played just a couple of matches in the World Cup so far, yet it feels like they already have one foot in the semi-final. They brushed aside England in their opening match in a comprehensive manner and took full toll of an inexperienced Netherlands side to further improve their net run-rate. Two matches. Two wins. NRR of 1.96. Everything's going well for the Blackcaps. 

It might get better for New Zealand as their skipper Kane Williamson is set to feature for the first time in the World Cup. Williamson, who has not played competitive cricket since damaging his ACL on his right knee during the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year, did bat in the warm-up games, but he was not cleared to field.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, were handed a 137-run thrashing by England in Dharamsala after overcoming Afghanistan in the first game. With spin likely to play a huge role in Chennai and quality aplenty in the department for both sides, we could be in for a riveting, low-scoring contest, as we had in the India-Australia tie.

Things to watch out for

Devon Conway at Chepauk

Devon Conway was dismissed under 40 just twice in IPL 2023 at Chepauk and overall hit 393 runs at 65 at a strike rate of 133. While an ODI is a completely different format, it shows that the southpaw loves batting at this venue. Moreover, in the IPL, he absolutely murdered spin, scoring against them at a strike rate of 137.86 (Ave 96.5) here. Conway has started off the World Cup quite well, with scores of 152* against England and 32 against the Netherlands, but Bangladesh, who have three frontline pacers in their ranks, will look to use his weakness against short balls.

He has been dismissed 11 out of 21 times by right-arm pacers, averaging just 38.8, and, moreover, against right-arm pacers who have bowled at over 140 KMPH. He has been dismissed five times against such deliveries and averages only 17 and strikes at 100. We can expect Bangladesh to unleash Taskin Ahmed against Conway early on.

Williamson's return further adds to New Zealand's depth

Despite not having Kane Williamson up their ranks, the Blackcaps have managed to win their first two games with minimum fuss. The skipper's return is certainly a massive boost for the side, given his excellent performances in World Cups, which resulted in him winning the player of the tournament in 2019.

While his record in India - 398 runs at 33.2 is not great - he has more often than not turned up against Bangladesh, against whom he averages nearly 53 in 10 innings.

Out of his ODI 13 innings in India, he has scored 30 or more on four occasions, which is a cause for concern, and in his other outings here, he has managed just two scores in excess of 50. Will the experienced campaigner add to it on Friday (October 13)?

The Shanto threat

Najmul Hossain Shanto has been in terrific form in ODIs this year. His 757 runs have come at an average of 50.5 and a strike rate of 85 this year. Only Shubman Gill (10) has more 50-plus scores this year than Shanto (8). While he has struggled in the powerplay this year, striking at under 70 (Ave 38.75), he comes to his own in the middle phase, where he has struck at 90 and also averages close to 65. 

However, he needs to get through the Trent Boult threat, as he has been dismissed thrice to left-arm pacers in ODIs - all in powerplay - and overall, averages just 27.3 against such bowlers - his lowest among all bowling types.

Ground Details

While traditionally known to be a spin-friendly track, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, has seen close to 47% of the wickets picked up by pacers this year. In the first game of the World Cup, the Indian spinners weaved magic around the Aussie batters accounting for 6 for 194 in the 30 overs between them; their counterparts from the opposition had no such luck. 

The toss will have a significant say in the result, given that those opting to bat first have won 18 of the 24 matches here. The trend could continue in this game as well.

Tactical insights

While Rachin Ravindra has impressed with the bat in the World Cup so far, his left-arm spin could be an integral factor in this game. He has a terrific record against left-handed batters in ODIs, having picked up seven wickets at 26.3 and has struck once every 23.7 deliveries. With three of Bangladesh's top four stacked with left-handers, he could come in handy against them. 

One of the positives for Bangladesh from their loss against England was that Litton Das returned to form after not getting past 20 in the five innings before that. Chasing 365, Litton smashed 76 off 66, but barely any support from the other end as Bangladesh tumbled to 227. However, the Boult threat cannot be brushed aside, especially given that he has been dismissed 10 times against left-arm pace in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup - the most by any batter in this period.

Team News and Probable XIs

While Williamson is set to feature in this World Cup for the first time, Tim Southee, who has recovered from his thumb injury, will continue to remain absent against Bangladesh, perhaps as a precaution. Williamson's return could also see Will Young warm the bench with either Ravindra or Tom Latham opening the innings for the Blackcaps.

Another bone of contention could be whether they want to get Ish Sodhi into the XI or persist with the part-time off-spin option of Glenn Phillips. If Sodhi was to come in, it could be in place of Mark Chapman. 

New Zealand probable XI: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

Bangladesh may not need to make any changes to their XI, given that the XI they fielded against England had the perfect balance. However, if they feel they need to further strengthen their spin-bowling department without compromising on their batting, Mahmudullah could be the answer, with Towhid Hridoy making way.

Bangladesh probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy/Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman