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T20 World Cup final, New Zealand Predicted XI against Australia: Conway's absence may force batting-order shuffle
Devon Conway's absence is likely to force multiple tweaks in the batting order for New Zealand as the BlackCaps chase history.
Kane Williamson’s New Zealand will be aiming to win a second ICC tournament this year when they take on rivals Australia for the T20 World Cup trophy on Sunday. New Zealand had earlier won the World Test Championship in June, beating Virat Kohli’s India to win the inaugural edition of the tournament. A gritty knock from Daryl Mitchell, along with James Neesham’s brilliant cameo against England sealed New Zealand’s berth in the final of the T20 World Cup, and the ‘BlackCaps’ will be hoping for a similar fighting performance against Aaron Finch’s Australia.
As both sides meet for the final in Dubai, let’s take a look at the predicted XI for New Zealand:
1 Martin Guptill – New Zealand will be hoping for a brisk start from the opener, who has largely remained inconsistent throughout the tournament. Barring the 92-run innings against Scotland, it has been a poor World Cup for Guptill so far.
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2 Daryl Mitchell – Mitchell may not have had a very confident start against England, but he built his innings as wickets continued to fall on the other end at the start. The opener eventually repaid the faith with a stunning finish, remaining unbeaten on 72 to guide the Kiwis to the final.
3 Kane Williamson (Captain)– A rock for the Kiwi side, Williamson’s shot-selection against England might be a tad bit unnerving for both, the batter and the New Zealand dug-out. However, Williamson continues to be the side’s most reliable batter.
4 Glenn Phillips – With the absence of Devon Conway, Phillips will have an increased responsibility with the bat – most likely as a no.4.
5 James Neesham – The all-rounder played a crucial 27-run innings off just 11 deliveries against England to turn the tide in New Zealand’s favour in the semi-final. He remains flexible with his batting position, meaning that Neesham could inter-change his position with either Seifert or Phillips, depending on the situation in the game.
6 Tim Seifert (WK) – The wicketkeeper-batter was confirmed as a replacement for Conway and will be aiming to make a mark in the final.
7 Mitchell Santner – The spinner only bowled one over due to tight match-ups in the English innings. Regardless, Santner has been a more consistent bowler for New Zealand even if he has a limited number of wickets to show for it.
8 Adam Milne – With a decent economy rate of 6.95, Milne has taken three wickets in the tournament so far. The pacer has ably played the role of keeping the pressure during the middle-overs.
9 Tim Southee – With 8 wickets in six games so far, Southee has been impressive up-front for New Zealand. He played a crucial role against England in the semi-final as well, conceding 24 runs while taking the big wicket of Dawid Malan.
10 Trent Boult – The pacer may have been expensive against England but remains New Zealand’s most trusted bowler with the new ball. Boult has taken 11 wickets in six innings so far.
11 Ish Sodhi – Sodhi continued his wicket-taking streak against England, as he took the all-important wicket of Jos Buttler to provide New Zealand with an important breakthrough.
