ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: [WATCH] Jonny Bairstow Kicks Off The Mega Event With A 2nd-Ball Six Off Trent Boult

England’s wicket-keeper batter Jonny Bairstow kicked off the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup in style with a second-ball six off Trent Boult adopting an aggressive approach. The defending champions took on New Zealand in the tournament opener on Thursday, October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham won the toss and asked England to bat first. Johnny Bairstow opened the innings along with Dawid Malan. He slammed 12 runs off the first over to kick off the marquee tournament in a grand fashion. On the second delivery of the over, he slammed a half-volley over the long leg for a six to get off the mark.

The wicket-keeper batter also slammed a boundary on the fifth delivery. Trent Boult bowled a full delivery on the off-stump. Jonny Bairstow punched it straight down the ground for a boundary as the ball raced quickly. He slammed four boundaries and a six during his innings before getting dismissed on 33 runs by Mitchell Santner.

England aims to defend ODI World Cup title

England is heading into the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 as the defending champions. They defeated New Zealand in the 2019 edition in a thrilling final, which was decided on boundary count. They will be keen to defend the title and become the only third team to achieve the feat.

Jos Buttler, the skipper of the England team, expressed it will be important to read the conditions well in India. Speaking at the Captain’s meet before the World Cup, Jos Buttler expressed,

“There will be lots of different wickets we will play on around the country. There can be some of the best batting wickets in the world here. Some of them can be a little bit on the slower side; some can spin. So, reading the conditions quickly will be a big part of the game.”

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