The Cricket World Cup 2023 kicked off at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday with defending champions England facing New Zealand in a repeat of the 2019 final. A lot of excitement surrounded the competition, however the batting displayed by England was medicore. The defending champion ended their 50 overs with just 282 runs on the board.
England lost wickets at regular intervals but Joe Root anchored their innings for well before losing his wicket for 77. Considering the bowling resources they had, Tom Latham will be pleased with how things have panned out. The crucial 30-run final wicket stand ensured England have got to a pretty good total. Yes it's below par by modern standards, but all the ODIs prior at this venue weren't high-scoring and this is surely a challenging pitch too. Not the kind where you can come in and play shots straightaway. It's on the slower side and England do have variety to suit these conditions.
