By Jamie Griffith

The two remaining unbeaten sides left in the 2023 Cricket World Cup meet in Dharamshala on Sunday for what looks set to be a thrilling encounter as both teams look to protect their perfect records.  

New Zealand have seen off England, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan without having to break a sweat, whilst tournament hosts India have lost just 10 wickets across their four wins against Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh as they have also made light work of their opponents so far.  

This match will provide both sides with by far their greatest challenge of the tournament so far and will be a good indicator of who should be favourites heading into the knockout stage.    

Match Odds 

Tournament hosts India come into this match as strong favourites at 4/9, whilst also unbeaten New Zealand are priced at 9/5, and a victory for the Black Caps is not impossible. 

Kohli leads the market to finish as India Top Run Scorer at 13/5, while Devon Conway shares that honour for New Zealand at 5/2. Jasprit Bumrah heads the Indai Top Wicket Taker betting at 111/4, with Boult priced at 16/5 in the New Zealand equivalent. 

Unsurprisingly as match favourites, India are expected to lead the way in other categories as they are 4/6 for the highest opening partnership and 8/13 for highest 15 overs score. The Black Caps are on offer at 6/5 and 13/10 respectively. 

Virat Kohli to be top India run scorer @ 13/5 

India have a great recent white-ball record against the Black Caps, winning five of the last six meetings between the sides, and they should land another victory on home soil. 

However the odds of an India win (4/9) do not make particular appeal, and it may be better to look at some player statistics to get the value, starting with veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli.  

Kohli has excelled at the World Cup so far and boasts the highest batting average in the competition by some margin, with his 129.50 blowing the second-best Mohammad Rizwan’s 98 out of the water.  

The number three has been key to India’s success at the tournament up to this point and he will likely continue his brilliant form facing a side he has averaged 55 runs against in one-day internationals.  

His average at the HPCA Stadium reads well too, at 106, suggesting he should have no issues in finding his rhythm on Sunday.  

The pitch in Dharamshala tends to favour fast bowlers and the pace of the ground can lead to low-scoring affairs, but the 34-year-old Kohli will have enough experience to deflect the onslaught of Trent Boult, Lockie Feruson and Matt Henry and provide the foundation for his side.  

Lockie Ferguson top New Zealand wicket taker @ 4/1

Whilst Kohli may have the nous to deal with the speed in Dharamshala, other Indian batters may not be so lucky to avoid succumbing on the HPCA pitch, especially with the pace New Zealand possess.  

The Black Caps boast one of, if not the best attacking line ups in the tournament, with the pace of Boult and Henry capable of hurting teams, before getting to Ferguson, who is the only active player in the sport to have bowled a ball at over 150kmph.  

His blistering speed has not been required too often yet, as New Zealand have dispatched their opponents with relative ease, but when he has been used, he has been a danger.  

Against Afghanistan, Ferguson took three wickets in seven overs with an economy of 2.71 and he could prove to be The Kiwis’ biggest weapon on the faster pitch at the HPCA Stadium.