🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 26: WI vs NZ,Trinidad @6am IST🏏 - Page 2

Today's Match Prediction: Team bowling first to win the match

Scenario 1

West Indies win the toss and opt to bowl first.

Power Play Score: 35-45

First Innings Score: 155-165

West Indies win the match

Scenario 2

New Zealand win the toss and opt to bowl first.

Power Play score: 45-55

First Innings Score: 165-175

New Zealand win the match

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

Thanks for the tag Soni.

May the best team win.

Cheers..

New Zealand, often so prepared, looked woefully undone in their opener, and would want to show they are ready to revert to the mean. The West Indies, having passed their tests so far, will feel confident of becoming the first to ever top the T20 World Cup class on three different occasions.

This is a proper high-stakes, high-jeopardy (especially for NZ), high-voltage clash. And whenever that is the case, it usually translates to plenty of entertainment and drama!

A studious student. Someone who is not always expected to be among the top four or five in a class, but somehow finds a way to be there, relying on a combination of preparation and knowing what his particular strengths are. This time, though, he did not come as prepared and flunked his first big test, perhaps not even knowing what the questions were about, let alone answering them.

Then there is another student, whose second name, for all we know, could be extravagance. There are no half-measures and often, it is boom or bust with him. He could top the class or he could fail miserably. He does not worry about the single-mark MCQs, rather focussing on gobbling up four and six-mark questions.

Both of them now find themselves in direct competition with each other. A battle to get promoted to the next stage and to ensure their reputation is still intact. Both of them, because of what is at stake, will have their own plans, but only one will get what they are after.

Here's a snippet from a little while ago from our man Matt Roller, who faced quite a trip to get to the stadium: Evening from Brian Lara Cricket Academy. 45 mins until the toss but there's already a decent crowd in with the grass banks filling up. Should be a lively atmosphere with a steel band playing out the back of the northern side of the ground. The teams have just arrived (and dodged the worst of the traffic thanks to a convoy) and are having a look at the pitch, which took a fair hit during the heavy showers yesterday

World cups, consistency, perennial dark horses...rings a bell? Yes, it is New Zealand. New Zealand in ICC white ball events are always there and thereabouts when it comes to being in the top four. But that has had a setback after Afghanistan thumped them in their first game. NZ didn't play warm up games and that might come back to haunt them real bad. Most of their players cooled their heels during IPL. And a few had injury concerns. A few like Mitchell and Boult couldn't come good. And that brought about one of their biggest losses at a grand ICC event.

West Indies on the other hand have run through Uganda and Papua New Guinea. Their batting has been a bit scratchy but their bowling has been top notch. Most of their bowlers have hit the right straps but they haven't been tested by the best of batters. Windies might have to be on top of their game today. Because NZ for sure will come hard at them. These are different territories for the Kiwis and we shall wait to see them swim or drown in the next few hours.

The fielding when it comes to New Zealand is top notch. But they let go of about half-a-dozen chances in the first 10 overs of the game against Afghanistan. They were sloppy on the field. That let the opposition openers to go off the hook and they made the Kiwis pay. Then Rashid Khan spelt doom and ran through the middle order to bundle out the NZ unit. The NRR has taken a massive beating as well. So, NZ not only need wins from here on. They need handsome ones as well to stay afloat.

Ian: "Pretty easy tests for West Indies so far though, vs Uganda and PNG. Though NZ went straight into a final exam after neglecting to do any study. " -- For what it is worth, West Indies captain Rovman Powell does think that this is a good time to play New Zealand, because of all that has happened.

New Zealand have played just one game so far but that 84-run defeat has left them with barely any margin for error. This match has also morphed into a virtual knockout for them. Wondering how? This scenarios piece by S Rajesh should have you covered.

Thank you Soni for the thread and for tagging me. 

New Zealand has a fair chance to win this match, but we don't know, on any day, WI are capable  to play like heroes and will win any match!!