T20 World Cup 2022: Match 13- Predicted Australia Playing XI vs New Zealand

The defending champions Australia are on the verge of creating history as they prepare themselves to retain the prestigious T20 World Cup trophy on their home turf. Now, if they indeed manage to do so, the Aussies will be the first team ever to successfully defend the T20 world title. Now, even though it’s a tough ask, Aaron Finch and his boys look confident despite some late setbacks.

In the opening fixture of the tournament, the Kangaroos will take on their trans-Tasmanian rival New Zealand at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground. Their record against the Black Caps looks pretty impressive as the Aussies have won 10 out of 15 T20 internationals against them including the 2021 T20 World Cup final. Thus, they will back themselves for yet another important win as New Zealand will be coming into the tournament with a defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the final of the Tri-Series involving Bangladesh and also lost their warm-up game by 9 wickets against South Africa.

However, the Kiwis are never an easy team to deal with. Their bowling lineup looks pretty solid and will come hard against Australia. So, how the Men in Yellow will shape up against the challenge?

Here’s Australia's predicted playing XI against New Zealand

Openers - David Warner and Aaron Finch (c)

The duo of David Warner and Aaron Finch can destroy any opponent on a given day. The Aussie captain looked out of form previously but in the recent warm-up game against India, he showed his class all over again. The 35-year-old smashed 76 off 54 deliveries and almost played a match-winning knock but the Indian bowlers pulled a miraculous win over them. Despite that, his return back to touch will give the opener a lot of confidence as he aims to lift his second T20 World Cup.

His partner David Warner didn’t play a lot of matches as of late but smashed 166 runs in his last four T20Is. The player of the tournament in the 2021 T20 World Cup will be eager to prove a point after recently being overlooked as Australia’s next ODI captain. He is known for his consistency and once again can set the tone for Australia going forward. 

In the 95 T20Is he played for Australia, the southpaw has scored a whopping 2850 runs at a strike rate of 142 while Finch has played 100 T20Is for Australia and has scored 3013 runs at a strike rate of 144.02. Thus, the dynamic duo can be Australia’s biggest strength in the tournament.

Middle-Order: Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Matthew Wade

Despite being an injury-prone cricketer, Mitchell Marsh has played quite a few match-winning knocks for Australia and that includes his brilliant knock against New Zealand in the finals of the 2021 T20 World Cup. Representing Australia in 42 T20Is, the 31-year-old smashed 980 runs at a strike rate of 126.61. He provides the much-needed balance in the Aussie batting order and can take the game deep to snatch it from the opponent.

Now, batting at number six, Tim David will have complete independence to play his natural cricket. Representing Australia in 8eightT20Is, the youngster smashed 156 runs at a whooping strike rate of 165.95. He has been praised by almost all of his teammates and played many match-defining knocks in his short career and that’s what makes him one of the players to watch out for in the tournament.

The wicket-keeper batter Matthew Wade’s growth in international cricket has been phenomenal. In the 71 T20 internationals, Wade scored 1003 runs at a strike rate of 132.67. Batting at number seven, he will be Australia’s premium finisher in the tournament.

All-Rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Pat Cummins

The phrase ‘form is temporary and class is permanent’ is probably perfect to describe Glenn Maxwell at the moment. Not just his batting or bowling, Maxwell is also a gun fielder. In the big grounds in Australia, he will surely create an impact with his fielding in the tournament.

The 33-year-old Marcus Stoinis has played 47 T20Is for Australia and has scored 677 runs in the tournament. With a strike rate of 144.96, Stoinis has the ability to play with any bowling attack in the world. With the bowl, Stoinis has picked up 17 wickets in T20Is and has an economy of 8.45.

Coming to Pat Cummins, the pacer all-rounder has been pretty expensive in the tournament. Recently appointed as the ODI captain, Cummins has played a total of 46 T20Is for Australia and picked up 52 wickets at an economy of 7.29. Batting at number eight, Cummins had played some match-winning knocks for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL and would hope to replicate the same for Australia in the T20 World Cup. The 29-year-old has a strike rate of over 128 in T20Is.

Bowlers - Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood

Whenever an ICC tournament comes around the corner, Mitch Starc becomes the best version of himself. The 32-year-old has played 55 T20Is for Australia and has picked up 70 wickets at an economy of 7.58. Now, with the tournament being hosted in his known conditions, the Aussie speedster can be pretty dangerous with the ball.

Adam Zampa is going to be the lone spinner for Australia in the tournament. The 30-year-old has picked up 77 wickets from 69 T20Is he played. With an economy of 6.94, he has been pretty impactful for Australia in the shortest format of the game.

The pacer Josh Hazlewood has played 37 T20Is for Australia and has picked up 53 wickets so far. He is considered one of the best T20I bowlers in the world and will be Australia’s one of the biggest strengths in the bowling department. Given his form, he can cause some damage in the tournament.