Payback for 2019

Revenge for the final of the 2019 World Cup was never going to come in the first match of the 2023 edition. But a nine-wicket demolition of England in the Ahmedabad curtain-raiser will have provided New Zealand ample satisfaction. The defending champions have been battered, comprehensively, wearing what might end up being one of the most emphatic beatings of the tournament.

Quite shocking, really. England's bowlers simply couldn't take wickets. The two New Zealand batsmen dominated to such an extent that even a score of 382 would have been not enough from England.

New Zealand has been a very strong ODI team for many years. They made it to two World Cup finals but couldn't win the trophy. If history is any guide, their match against Pakistan will be very interesting. Often, the Kiwis go in with a red hot winning streak and the Pakis end the party.