In the first over, South Africa has a score of 2-0 with de Kock scoring 2 runs and Bavuma scoring 0. Trent Boult has a strong track record against Quinton de Kock, as do other left-arm seamers. After three deliveries that swung out, Boult throws in a straight one that de Kock defends with slight difficulty. As usual, Boult can’t help but smile.

De Kock makes a shot through mid-off on the fifth ball, earning a couple of runs. Conway impressively prevents the ball from reaching the boundary. De Kock then hits a back cut that is impressively stopped by Glenn Phillips, who is known for being an exceptional fielder even by today’s standards.

Returning to the field, Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma take their positions as the opening batsmen. This marks Bavuma’s 71st appearance in a white-ball game for South Africa, but his first time facing off against New Zealand.

In 2023, South Africa’s performance in One Day Internationals (ODIs).

• Batting first W9 L1

• Batting second W4 D4

Tom Latham’s choice to insert them is quite intriguing, particularly in light of Jos Buttler and England’s recent experience.

I am amazed. Andrew Miller, my long-standing rival in table football, has produced an incredible amount of high-quality written pieces over the last two decades. He has written thousands of articles, crafting tens of thousands of words with great skill. However, it was a single statement made in May 2022 that solidified his place in history.

Some updates from England: David Willey has announced his retirement from international cricket following the World Cup. I have a feeling that his time playing for England will be remembered more favorably in the future than it was by most of us during his career.

Each team makes one change to their lineup. New Zealand’s Tim Southee, who has recovered from an injury, takes the place of the injured Lockie Ferguson. South Africa makes a shift in their attack by substituting Tabraiz Shamsi with Kagiso Rabada.

The New Zealand team consists of Conway, Young, Ravindra, Mitchell, Latham (captain/wicket-keeper), Phillips, Neesham, Santner, Henry, Southee, and Boult.

De Kock (wicket-keeper), Bavuma (captain), van der Dussen, Markram, Klaasen, Miller, Jansen, Coetzee, Rabada, Maharaj, Ngidi will be playing for South Africa.

Wow, the opposing team’s captain has chosen to have South Africa bat first. Tom Latham mentions that the potential for dew later on is the main factor. How intriguing.

The recent developments in the World Cup have greatly improved the overall excitement. Initially, it seemed like the group stage was going to be extremely predictable after South Africa defeated Pakistan and Australia defeated New Zealand over the weekend. However, the recent victories of Afghanistan and Pakistan have reignited the chance for some late drama, making this extended league stage more justifiable.

Today’s match in Pune between New Zealand and South Africa can be viewed in two ways. The first perspective is that the victor has a higher chance of avoiding India in the semi-finals. The second viewpoint is that the loser, especially if it’s New Zealand, may have to fight hard to secure a spot in the semi-finals.

The permutations are too boring to detail here, which is to say I don’t fully understand them, but defeat for New Zealand would make their next game – Pakistan in Bengaluru on Saturday – a humdinger.

Despite their impressive performance, South Africa cannot guarantee their safety. Their net run-rate may allow them to lose the remaining three games and still secure a spot in the semi-finals. However, South Africa is aware that in World Cups, it is best not to rely on technicalities.

The top contenders are still predicted to be India, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. However, there could be a slight possibility of a surprising upset. Those of us who are not rooting for any specific team would have been satisfied with this outcome 48 hours ago.

The game commences at 8:30 AM Greenwich Mean Time, or 2:00 PM in Pune.