NZ vs AFG: Tom Latham-led New Zealand will take on Hashmatullah Shahidi-led Afghanistan in the 16th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 on 18 October at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai starting at 2:00 PM IST. A hot and overcast day awaits the New Zealand vs Afghanistan contest and this post covers the detailed NZ vs AFG Weather Forecast And Pitch Report Of MA Chidambaram Stadium.
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The undefeated, undisputed, and consistent New Zealand have done nothing wrong on the ground in this tournament. They are making performances, team affords, and good decisions at the right times and the result is- they have won all of their 3 matches with domination.
Huge blow for them as Kane Willamson’s undisplaced fracture in his left thumb has once again forced him to sit in the dugout. His absence means Will Young will take over his place immediately, and Tim Southee is available and healthy, but with the extra preparation time, there is minimal need to rotate the bowlers in this game.
Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s century-opening stand was the cornerstone of Afghanistan’s victory the other night. The two had their third-century partnership in ODIs this year, trailing only Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma of India.
Afghanistan is anticipated to deploy the same lineup that defeated England in Delhi, barring any last-minute injuries. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had scored the most runs for them in the competition, received a demerit point for hitting a chair and the boundary rope with his bat after being dismissed in the last match.
The stage is set for second-ranked New Zealand to take on 6th-ranked Afghanistan at Chennai. Down below is the NZ vs AFG Weather Forecast And Pitch Report Of MA Chidambaram Stadium:
NZ vs AFG Weather Forecast
NZ vs AFG | Match 16 of the ICC World Cup 2023 will take place on October 18 (Wednesday) at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The play begins at 2:00 PM IST.
According to weather.com, it is an overcast, hot, and humid day with a partially cloudy sky throughout the day in Chennai city of India. The weather forecast shows minimal possibility of rain during the game. The temperature of Chennai city will stay at 31°C for the most part of the day till the evening and drop further to 29-28°C at night.
There are ~2% chances of rain throughout the day. Humidity is in a higher range, hovering around 70-80%. Winds will gust toward the Northeast at the speed of ~18kmph during the day. Almost no rain interruption and we may enjoy a full 100-over game.
NZ vs AFG Pitch Report Of MA Chidambaram Stadium
The pitch at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium has a reputation for frequently offering a level playing surface that is advantageous to both batters and bowlers. A black soil pitch might be used for the NZ vs AFG game. However, because of the dry nature of the surface, spinners often have a little edge and Afghan spinners are on top of their forms. New Zealand have batting depth but they lack in quality spinning options and that where Afghanistan have a change to go top.
Now, if we speak statistics, in 36 ODI matches played at the stadium, the side batting first won 17 matches, and the chasing team won 18, while one game ended in a draw. The first inning’s total is often about 240.
READ: ICC World Cup 2023 Points Table Updated (October 17) after South Africa vs Netherlands
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