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Around 40,000 women were given free tickets and food coupons for the World Cup 2023 opener between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 5.
However, according to recent reports, the women were not told that the match was between England and New Zealand. Asian News TV shared a video on YouTube, in which a few spectators were interviewed at the venue before the opening match.
In the video, one of the female spectators revealed that they were told that the tickets they received were for the India-Pakistan World Cup 2023 match.
It is worth mentioning that the 40,000 free tickets were distributed by Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. Despite the move, not many fans turned up and several empty stands could be seen during the start of the opening match.
Several fans expressed their disappointment on social media over the lack of a huge crowd for the opening match of the ICC event.
New Zealand beat defending champions England in World Cup 2023 opener
Last edition's finalists England and New Zealand locked horns in the inaugural match of the World Cup 2023. The Blackcaps won the toss and chose to field first against the defending champions.
Joe Root was the top performer with the bat for England, mustering 77 runs. Skipper Jos Buttler also chipped in with a useful contribution, scoring 43 runs. The side finished at 282/9 after 50 overs.
Matt Henry bagged three scalps, while Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips picked up two wickets each. New Zealand batters made a mockery of the target, chasing it down in just 36.2 overs with nine wickets in hand.
Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra slammed wonderful centuries, remaining unbeaten on 152 and 123, respectively. The two stitched together a stellar 273*-run partnership for the second victory, helping their team secure a comprehensive victory.
Notably, the partnership between Conway and Ravindra is also the biggest for New Zealand in World Cups.
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