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The highly anticipated ICC ODI World Cup 2023 commenced with a marquee clash between England and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In a disappointing start to their title defense, England suffered a comprehensive defeat at the hands of New Zealand, who showcased their dominance in the tournament’s opening match.
England, having won the toss, was asked to bat first and managed to post a modest total of 282/9, losing wickets at regular intervals throughout their innings. The only standout performance for the defending champions came from the experienced Joe Root, who contributed 77 runs from 86 balls, including 4 fours and a six.
England’s hopes were briefly raised when Sam Curran provided an early breakthrough, dismissing Will Young for a golden duck on the first ball of the second over. However, things took a dramatic turn as Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra combined forces to record an astounding 273-run partnership, guiding New Zealand to a victory with 13.4 overs to spare.
Jos Buttler spills beans on the defeat
In the aftermath of the disheartening defeat, England’s skipper, Jos Buttler, shed light on his team’s performance and identified the key issues that led to their downfall. He reckoned that England’s total was well below what they had aimed for, especially considering the favorable batting conditions on the pitch.
Buttler highlighted that England’s batting lacked clinical execution, with some correct shot selections not being executed properly, and emphasized the need for a balanced approach between aggression and defense in shot-making.
“I thought we were well below par. Judging by the way New Zealand batted, they showed that. I thought we were aiming for 330, it felt like it was a really good wicket to bat on and it probably got even better under lights as well. Just with the score we had and the start they got off to, it’s tough to build any pressure,” said Buttler in the post-match presentation.
“We lacked being a bit clinical with our execution. Some of the dismissals were the right shots but just not quite executed correctly. You can’t be too defensive. I think we were just not quite clinical enough with our shot-making and our execution,” added Buttler.
Also READ: ODI World Cup 2023 – Twitter erupts as New Zealand’s Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra hammer defending champions England
Praise for Conway and Ravindra
Buttler heaped praise on Conway and Ravindra for their exceptional partnership and commended their ability to play technically sound cricket shots and extract maximum value from their strokes, despite not relying on big, aggressive shots.
“They played some really good cricket shots and got great value for them. I thought the margin for error on that pitch was very small and in that powerplay, someone like Devon Conway – I can’t think of any massive shots he played but he scored very quickly, and the same for Rachin Ravindra as well. The two guys played exceptionally well, they put together a fantastic partnerships and we were well beaten today,” explained the English skipper.
Buttler believed that had England performed closer to their potential, they might have posted a more competitive total; however, he conceded that New Zealand’s exceptional skills and adaptability may have still posed a significant challenge.
“I still think it was a good wicket, I think we played a long way short of our best with the bat and still made 280. If we were closer to our best, I think we would have got up to a score which we may have defended – but with the conditions or the skill that New Zealand showed, it may still not have been enough,” Buttler added further.
