New Zealand vs South Africa Prediction: New Zealand lost two games on trot

New Zealand and South Africa are going head to head in the 32nd game of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Maharashtra Cricket Association, Pune, India on 1st November. New Zealand have lost their way with two consecutive losses against India and Australia. Who will win this game?

New Zealand's impressive campaign commenced with four consecutive victories against England, Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. However, they have since faced back-to-back losses to India and Australia, and another defeat could significantly harm their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

In this tournament, opener Rachin Ravindra and all-rounder Daryl Mitchell have been New Zealand's leading run-scorers. Ravindra has amassed 406 runs in six innings, while Mitchell has contributed 322 runs in five outings. Their individual and collective performances have been crucial, particularly in the absence of the injured Kane Williamson.

On the bowling front, seamer Matt Henry and spinner Mitchell Santner have excelled for the Black Caps, sharing a total of 25 wickets in the tournament. Henry's ability to extract extra bounce and carry, combined with Santner's skillful variations in pace and spin, pose a significant threat to the Proteas.

Despite South Africa's recent confidence-boosting win against Pakistan, New Zealand has a history of disrupting the Proteas' progress in major International Cricket Council tournaments.

Tom Latham (c & wk), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Trent Boult

South Africa rebounded impressively after their defeat to the Netherlands, securing victories against England, Bangladesh, and Pakistan in a consecutive winning streak. Their most recent triumph was notably their most hard-fought, likely preparing them well for the remainder of the round-robin stage.

The 2023 Cricket World Cup features three South African batsmen among the top 10 run-scorers. Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, and Heinrich Klaasen have displayed aggressive batting performances, contributing to South Africa posting three of the six highest totals in the tournament.

In terms of injuries, South Africa will continue to miss Sisanda Magala and Anrich Nortje, with the availability of fast bowler Kagiso Rabada in question following his recent absence due to injury. Captain Temba Bavuma has recovered from illness after sitting out two matches.

South Africa's leading wicket-takers in the World Cup are fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen, with 13 and 12 wickets, respectively, while Rabada has secured 10 wickets. All three bowlers have impressively low early-20s averages. Spinner Tabraiz Shamsi is likely to retain his place in the XI after his four-wicket performance against Pakistan.

Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Lungi Ngidi

In the opening two matches of this tournament in Pune, one team winning the toss elected to bat first, while the other chose to bowl first. However, in the last seven ODIs played at this venue, the team winning the toss has decided to field first on five occasions.

The square boundaries at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium are relatively short, measuring less than 70 meters. This presents an opportunity for the team batting first to take advantage of these shorter boundaries, especially during the early powerplay and the final stages of their innings.

In Pune's inaugural match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Bangladesh posted a first-innings total of 256 for eight. However, India, unable to bowl out their opponents, successfully chased down the 257-run target with 51 balls to spare. Captain Rohit Sharma emphasized the need for India's bowlers to quickly adapt to the specific lines and lengths required in Pune, while centurion Virat Kohli commended the pitch, referring to it as "good" and appreciating the importance of shot selection.

Utilizing two or possibly three specialist spinners at this venue is a prudent strategy. Unlike T20I cricket, ODIs typically don't open the bowling with spinners, but it could be an effective tactic here, especially against batsmen who prefer pace on the ball.

The weather forecast indicates no rainfall leading up to the match and predicts dry conditions on matchday. Expectations are for a complete and uninterrupted fixture. Weather conditions are expected to be hot and humid.

New Zealand has experienced a loss of momentum with two consecutive defeats, while South Africa holds a superior head-to-head ODI record against the Kiwis. The Proteas' batting lineup is currently in fine form.

Despite the relatively low odds, we anticipate New Zealand to make a comeback and secure a victory in this game.