Australia will host New Zealand in the 1st of a three-match ODI series, starting March 13, 2020 (Friday). Australia, who have been invincible so far in their home season, are on a five DOI-match losing run and haven’t won any since battering India by 10 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in January. Aaron Finch’s men have since played five and lost all of them. New Zealand, on the other, clean-swept India at home and will be only playing their second ODI series post the heart-breaking 2019 World Cup final defeat. Both teams will also be facing each other in a bilateral ODI series for the first time since 2017. Meanwhile, as both sides square-up against each other in the 1st OSI match, take a look at some mini-battles that could decide the outcome.  Australia Vs New Zealand, Cricket Score 1st ODI Match.

Ross Taylor was the difference-maker in the ODI series against India with the former New Zealand captain, who also became the first player to 100 international matches in each format of the game, even hitting a match-winning century a tense 350-run chase. But while Taylor has made the difference to New Zealand’s batting, Australia’s star batsmen have collectively failed to bring the difference in their team’s total. Australia vs New Zealand 1st ODI Match Dream11 Team Prediction.

David Warner, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne have each a century each but have failed to perform consistently while their bowling in ODIs is still heavily dependent on Pat Cummins. The visitors, on the other, will welcome Trent Boult and Matt Henry into their ODI set-up. Coronavirus Scare: MCG Reveals Exposure Site After Person Attending India vs Australia Women's T20 World Cup Final Diagnosed With COVID-19.

David Warner vs Trent Boult

Boult last played an ODI match at Lord’s against England in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup final and will be making his first ODI appearance in almost eight months’ time. He missed the India ODI series at home due to a hand injury but returned for the Test series and made a big difference.

He will once again be Kane Williamson’s main threat when David Warner opens the batting for Australia. Warner started his post World Cup journey with a smashing century against India but has since played eight innings for only two half-centuries, both of which came in T20Is. His highest ODI score since that hundred has been 35.

Steve Smith vs Lockie Ferguson

Steve Smith has been in fine form and has hit a century, a 98 and another 76 in his six ODI innings post the World Cup. But unfortunately, none have guided his team to a win. But Ferguson’s fast-paced bouncer will be unlike anything he has faced in India and South Africa.

The last time they faced each other was at the ICC Cricket World Cup and Ferguson bounced Smith out with some help from Martin Guptill’s terrific catch at gully. Ferguson is also making his return into the New Zealand ODI fold after a calf-strain had ruled him out of the India ODI series.

Ross Taylor vs Pat Cummins

Australia’s current bowling leader Pat Cummins will be rearing to play at Sydney and bowl to New Zealand against whom he enjoyed good success in the Test series, which Australia clean swept. Cummins has, however, had a quiet time in limited-overs cricket post the World Cup and only has one three-wicket haul that came in the 2nd ODI against South Africa albeit in a losing cause. Ross Taylor, on the other, has been in good form played two match-winning knocks to lead New Zealand to victories against India in the ODI series. In his last three ODI innings, Taylor has one hundred and a half-century.

New Zealand are coming off a clean-sweep against India at home, while Australia will enter this ODI series on the back of successive series defeats to India (1-2) and South Africa (0-3) respectively. New Zealand won 2-0 when both these teams last met in a bilateral ODI series but Australia clean-swept New Zealand 3-0 in their last meeting in Australia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2020 07:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).