There are two matches of Group 1 in the Super 12 round to be played on Wednesday in Melbourne. In the evening fixture, New Zealand will take on Afghanistan.
New Zealand have begun their campaign in style, thumping down the hosts and tournament favorites, Australia, with a magnificent 89-run drubbing, which also boosted their NRR to a staggering +4.45.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, sustained a 5-wicket defeat inflicted upon them by England. The England pace attack bowled them out for 112 with Sam Curran bagging a five-wicket haul, the first by an England men’s bowler in T20 World Cups. Even though Afghanistan took 5 English wickets, it just delayed the inevitable, but they showed a fight with the ball, so that’s a positive.
Here are the NZ vs AFG predicted XIs:
New Zealand predicted XI:
Devon Conway (wk), Finn Allen, Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman/Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Afghanistan predicted XI:
Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai/Naveen-ul-Haq, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi
NZ vs AFG Pitch report:
Going by the India-Pakistan game, run-scoring will be difficult and challenging in Melbourne in the tournament. The pacers enjoyed the conditions in the India-Pakistan clash with swing and seam movement, coupled with bounce and pace making it a happy hunting ground for the fast bowlers.
NZ vs AFG Who Will Take Most Number Of Wickets?
Tim Southee
We are predicting Tim Southee to finish with 3 wickets against Afghanistan. Swing, seam, pace, bounce – these are all the ingredients the MCG surface has, plus the aggressive nature of the Afghanistan openers, and Najibullah and Nabi, that has made us feel that Tim Southee will emerge as the highest wicket-taker of this game. Southee is likely to bowl two overs upfront and return to bowl two in the death, which gives him the best possibility to pick up wickets.
Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, knowledge, and instinct of the writer. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.
