Plucky New Zealand eye history against Australia

SYDNEY: New Zealand will lock horns with rivals Australia in the first of their 3-match One-day International (ODI) series in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy at Sydney Cricket Ground here on Sunday.

Unlike Tests, where contests have traditionally been lopsided, Australia and New Zealand have formed a genuinely intriguing rivalry in ODI cricket.

In the 50-over format, the feisty New Zealand have a knack of troubling their highly talented opponents and thus, in the mid-2000s, the Chappell-Hadlee series was set up to be an annual affair between the Trans-Tasman rivals.

It was hoped perennial contests would manufacture a genuine rivalry akin to the rugby codes but, disappointingly, the concept was scrapped by the end of the decade. However, during the 2015 World Cup, Australia and New Zealand struck a deal for six Chappell-Hadlee one-day series’ to be played between 2016 and 2020. New Zealand won the first series on resumption with a 2-1 win in February.

The reborn affair will see the first ODI played between the teams in Australia since the 2015 World Cup final, where Australia won by seven wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, both teams are vastly different since then, as each is undergoing a generational change.

Australia have long dominated ODI cricket — they have won four of the last five World Cups — and it has consistently been their strongest format but they suffered a humiliating whitewash in South Africa recently jeopardising their No 1 world ranking. Indeed, if Australia endures another whitewash in this series, South Africa will assume the top mantle.

“(We’re) excited to play one-day cricket against a quality opposition. New Zealand got the better of us last time... we want to win back this Chappell-Hadlee trophy,” Steve Smith said.

Alleviating their concern, Australia were without spearheads Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood in South Africa and with Pat Cummins returning to the mix, the home side boasts a formidable pace trio.

Intriguingly, the series also doubles as an audition for Australia’s upcoming Test series against Pakistan with middle-order batsman Travis Head, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and legspinner Adam Zampa on the fringe of Test selection.

“As a one-day unit we’ve been pretty strong for a while, we are a reliable white ball side,” Hesson said.

Like Australia, New Zealand is amid transition since the retirements of Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Grant Elliott, Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills since last year’s World Cup. Ross Taylor, the veteran batsman, is also missing as he recovers from eye surgery.

New Zealand will rely heavily on captain Kane Williamson and explosive opener Martin Guptill with the bat, while their vaunted pace stocks are led by Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Perhaps most excitingly, speedster Lockie Ferguson is likely to play in the series opener in Sydney with the injury-prone 25-year-old capable of bowling over 150kph.

After starring against Pakistan in Test cricket, 30-year-old all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme is a player to watch and has the destructive abilities with both bat and ball to be a match-winner for the Kiwis.

Teams (from):

Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Aaron Finch, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Hilton Cartwright, Mitchell Starc, John Hazelwood, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner Colin Munro, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Todd Astle, Matt Henry.