World Cup 2019: Will it be Starc vs Boult again as Australia and New Zealand lock horns?

The group stage match between Australia and New Zealand was certainly one of the highlights of World Cup 2015. Both the co-hosts participated in a thriller in Auckland, before meeting again in the final.

New Zealand managed to win the first match by one wicket, and the two left arm quicks on either side - Mitchell Starc (6 wickets for 28) and Trent Boult (5 for 27) - were the main guys in action.

More than four years since that match, the neighboring countries face off against each other in yet another group stage match at the World Cup. They are both quite far away from home, but the two teams are yet again competing for the top spot at the end of round one.

Their strike bowlers too remain the same as last time. Starc and Boult have taken 41 and 31 World Cup wickets respectively, and they continue to spearhead their teams' bowling attacks.

While Starc is certainly ahead in the World Cup tally, the overall career aggregates of both bowlers do not differ that much. Starc has taken 164 wickets in 84 ODIs and Boult has taken 156 wickets in 85 ODIs. With an age difference of just around six months, the two world class bowlers have a long way - perhaps the same distance - to go in their respective careers.

The two bowlers will hold the cards for their respective teams during Saturday's encounter at the home of cricket as well. Even though Boult has not been as penetrative this World Cup as he was in 2015, it is the Australian batsmen that usually bring the best out of him. Boult has 25 wickets from just 10 matches against the Aussies.

Starc also has 18 wickets from 8 matches against the Kiwis, which makes the competition even more interesting.

Whatever happens, we can expect more fireworks from the bowlers than the batsmen in this match. It might be too much to hope for five-wicket hauls from both men like it happened in 2015, but a few deadly outswingers from Boult or a couple of toe-crushing yorkers from Starc could be enough to decide the result of the match.

Also see – India vs England head to head stats

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