Table of Contents
ToggleWilmington hosts the AUS vs NZ first T20I. The match will be played at the Sky Stadoum from 11.40 am IT. This is the first of the three-match T20I series.
Australia will be led by Mitchell Marsh. He led the team in the recent T20I series against West Indies as well. He will have plenty of leadership experience to fall back on with senior players returning. Mitchell Marsh and Pat Cummins are back in the side for this series. They also have the likes of David Warner and Glenn Maxwell.
The Aussies have been hit by a few injury concerns. They will be missing Marcus Stoinis who is ruled out with a back injury. His replacement Aaron Hardie is out with a calf injury that he picked up while playing in Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania in Hobart.
Cricket Australia confirmed that Spencer Johnson has been called into the squad immediately to replace Aaron Hardie in the squad. Spencer Johnson was also a member of the three-match T20I series against West Indies.
New Zealand will be led by Mitchell Santner with Kane Williamson out on parental leave, There are injury concerns with Daryl Mitchell (foot injury), and Michael Bracewell (finger injury) while James Neesham is playing in the BPL.
Kiwi pacer Kyle Jamieson is ruled out of the entire 2024 with a stress fracture. Trent Boult has returned to the side and will be playing the last two games with Tim Southee likely to be rested.
New Zealand and Australia have played 16 T20Is with the Kiwis winning just five games and the Aussies 10. In the last five games, the Kiwis have lost thrice. In the last two T20I matches between the two teams, both have won one game each.
AUS vs NZ Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Wellington Stadium – 1st T20I, 2024
AUS vs NZ 1st T20I Weather Report
The AUS vs NZ first T20I starts from 11.40 am IST which is 7.10 pm local time. The weather conditions will remain mostly cloudy with a breezy spell in the afternoon. The temperature will be around 20 degrees in the daytime.
The weather conditions will be mainly clear in the evening with the temperature around 14 degrees. However, there is a likely chance of rain in the daytime which might mean a delayed start if the outfield is too wet. The venue uses a drop-in pitch due to heavy rain in Wellington as per reports.
Pitch Analysis
As said earlier, the pitch at the Sky Stadium in Wellington uses drop-in pitches due to heavy rain at the venue. Thus the pitch remains a batting-friendly one and we can expect a high-scoring match. So far 21 matches have been played at this venue. 10 games have been won by the team batting first and 11 games chasing.
Weather Impact On The Game
As per reports rain is always a threat in New Zealand in evening matches. The country and the city experience a lot of rainfall throughout the year. There is a slight forecast of rain during the daytime on Wednesday.
However, the weather will mainly remain clear in the evening. If it rains, it might result in a delayed start. If it rains too heavily it is also a possibility the match might even get rained out.
Conclusion
The AUS vs NZ series starts with the first T20I in Wellington on February 21. The next two T20I matches will be played in Auckland on February 23 and 25. The two teams then play a two-match Test series with the first Test in Wellington and the second in Christchurch.
Also Read: Neil Wagner angry on team New Zealand? Tim Southee breaks silence on pacer’s inappropriate gestures
