New Zealand welcome Australia for a five-match T20I series that gets underway at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Australia have been stronger in the T20I format than the Black Caps but the hosts have been on the rise across all formats.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
New Zealand vs Australia | First T20I | Monday 22 February 2021 | Hagley Oval, Christchurch | 07:00
To Win Match
New Zealand 1/1
Draw 25/1
Australia 8/10
New Zealand
While the T20 World Cup remains somewhat up in the air due to the pandemic, New Zealand will be keen to start their preparation in earnest under the new lights of the Hagley Oval.
New Zealand will don retro beige kits for this encounter, a nod to their first full-colour Limited Overs International strip.
Doubts remain over the fitness of Martin Guptill which presents an opportunity for in-form Finn Allen to make his international debut at the top of the order.
SA-born Devon Conway has made a solid start to his T20I career and should be ready to kick on and do some real damage to the tourists bowling.
Allrounder Kyle Jamieson finds himself having to live up to the massive price tag attached to him at the IPL auction as he looks to continue his excellent start to life as a Black Cap.
Australia
David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins will miss the series for Australia, but the tourists sport impressive depth in the T20I format and start as narrow favourites.
Glenn Maxwell and Jhye Richardson fetched a pretty penny in the IPL auction as well and come into the series as potential gamebreakers for the tourists.
There are top order spots available for Australia, at least in this series with the side eager to get over their propensity to collapse under pressure.
Skipper Aaron Finch comes into the series off the back of a lean run in the Big Bash League and missed out on an IPL contract at the recent auction.
Australia have lost just one T20I to New Zealand since the two nations played the inaugural international in the format in February 2005.
Verdict: Australia
Quarantine
may have acted as an equaliser but Australia should be able to continue their
dominance.
Written by James Richardson.
