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Ahead of the 27th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 between Australia and New Zealand at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Saturday, Kiwi skipper Tom Latham said that any time they play against Australia it is the trans-Tasman rivalry.
While speaking at the pre-match press conference, Latham hoped that both teams would be excited to get into things since they haven't played last year. "Yeah, I think any time we play Australia, it's obviously the trans-Tasman rivalry which is really special and I think that's not just cricket that's obviously fit for all sports and even in the World Cup and over here in India obviously a long way from home it's another special occasion. I'm sure both teams will be really excited to get into things and we haven't played them last year and we haven't played them for a while since then. So again, making sure we plan and prepare as best we can. And if we do that, then hopefully we'll give ourselves a good chance of backing into the game," Latham said as quoted by the ICC. While talking about Australia's recent form in the tournament, the New Zealand skipper praised the Aussies and said that they are in good form in the tournament even after not having a good start. Latham added that every time they have played against Australia it was a challenge since they have a quality side. "Yeah, they're obviously playing some fantastic cricket at the moment. As you said, they didn't probably start as well as they would have liked, but I think the form they've shown in probably the last three games is - that's obviously the Australia that we know. You know, they obviously fight, till the end pretty much every time and I guess every time we play each other it's always a challenge and I guess they're a quality side, they're one of the best sides in the world for a reason and you certainly can't take them lightly. I think we've shown throughout this tournament that we've seen plenty of teams that on their given day can beat anyone. So, Australia are no different. So, we're expecting them to be at their best and hopefully, we can play well as well and hopefully be a great game," he added. New Zealand are coming into this game after losing against India by four wickets. They are currently in third place on the ODI World Cup 2023 standings with eight points after winning four out of their five games. (ANI)
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