New Delhi:
After 16 years in the ICC Cricket World Cup, India and New Zealand will square off in the tournament on June 13 in Trent Bridge. The Indian cricket team have started the campaign on a positive note with wins over South Africa and five-time world champions Australia. However, the clash against New Zealand will be a very interesting affair. In three encounters between New Zealand and India in England, the Kiwis have won all three. In 1975, 1979 and 1999, New Zealand managed to get the better of India while India broke the New Zealand jinx in two encounters in 1987 and 2003. In World Cup encounters, New Zealand has a 4-3 head-to-head record in seven meetings. Heading into the clash at Trent Bridge, here are past head-to-head encounters between India and New Zealand in the World Cup.
1) Glenn Turner magic: New Zealand beat India by four wickets (1975 World Cup)
India was reduced to 70/6 with Sir Richard Hadlee, Dayle Hadlee and Brian McKechnie causing havoc. Abid Ali stroked a gutsy 70 and was well-assisted by the tail as India reached 230 all out in 60 overs. In response, Glenn Turner showed his brilliance and stroked 114 and put New Zealand on course for a win. Despite losing a few quick wickets towards the end, the Kiwis managed to hold their nerve and register a four-wicket win.
2) Clinical victory: New Zealand beat India by eight wickets (1979 World Cup)
India was having a torrid time in the 1979 World Cup, losing to Sri Lanka who was an associate nation at that time. In the encounter in Leeds, Sunil Gavaskar was the lone star with 55 as India were undone by some good bowling from McKechnie, Lance Cairns, Sir Richard Hadlee and Gary Troup. Chasing 183, Bruce Edgar stole the show with an aggressive 84 and New Zealand romped home by eight wickets.
3) Jinx broken: India beat New Zealand by 16 runs. (1987 World Cup)
The 1987 World Cup was played for the first time outside England and India, along with Pakistan were the hosts. New Zealand suffered a couple of close losses and won a few games but the clash against India would be heartbreaking. Navjot Singh Sidhu blasted 75 which included four boundaries and four sixes. Kapil Dev smashed 72 and along with Kiran More’s 42 helped India reach 252/7. Ken Rutherford and Andrew Jones smashed the fifties but Maninder Singh and Ravi Shastri’s two wickets helped India pull off a 16-run win.
4) Gavaskar’s brilliance: India beat New Zealand by nine wickets. (1987 World Cup)
Gavaskar was one of the greatest Test batsmen of his era but in ODIs, he had not achieved much. However, in the game against New Zealand at Nagpur, Gavaskar finally ticked the one achievement which had eluded him. In a match full of records, India put in a clinical performance. Chetan Sharma’s hat-trick, the first in the World Cup, reduced New Zealand to 221/9. In response, Gavaskar blasted a century and Kris Srikkanth’s 75 helped India achieve a nine-wicket win.
5) India suffers in the wind: New Zealand beat India by four wickets. (1992 World Cup)
At the ‘theatre of pain’, India were blown away by the clinical efficiency of the New Zealand team. Sachin Tendulkar blasted 84 and was well assisted by Mohammad Azharuddin’s 55 but in windy Carisbrook, Dunedin, New Zealand were simply too good. Mark Greatbatch blasted 73 while Jones smashed 67 as New Zealand avenged their 1987 losses in style.
6) Pain in England prolonged: New Zealand beat India by five wickets. (1999 World Cup)
India was already eliminated from the semi-final race in the 1999 World Cup. Ajay Jadeja’s 76 helped India reach 251/6 but Matt Horne’s 74 and Roger Twose’s 60 gave New Zealand a four-wicket win. It was an abject end to India’s tournament.
7.) Zak attack destroys Kiwis: India beat New Zealand by seven wickets. (2003 World Cup)
Zaheer Khan picked up four wickets and wrecked the New Zealand top order as they were reduced to 146 all out. India survived a fiery spell from Shane Bond as he took the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly. Sachin Tendulkar smashed three consecutive fours but fell to Daryl Tuffey. However, Mohammad Kaif and Rahul Dravid smashed fifties and shared a partnership of over 100 as India thrashed New Zealand in Centurion to dump the Kiwis out of the tournament.
