new zealand Will face West Indies in the first match of the three-match ODI series. This article provides details about the playing 11 of New Zealand vs West Indies for the first match of the series.
New Zealand Playing XI vs West Indies – 1st ODI, West Indies tour of New Zealand 2025:
Openers: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra
New Zealand will be eyeing a winning start to the three-match ODI series against West Indies, winning the opening match to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
The Mitchell Santner-led side has a balanced squad and will look to make the most of the resources by putting in a strong performance.
The management and captain will rely on their top order to perform well and create a platform for the upcoming batsmen to take advantage of this and score a better score while batting first.
The Blackcaps are expected to open the batting with Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, both of whom are quite settled when it comes to ODI cricket and will look to work their way into the opening partnership.
Apart from performing as a pair, both Rachin and Conway will also want to get bug scores individually to gain confidence for the upcoming matches.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Jack Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson.
New Zealand has a strong middle-order that has a good mix of youth and experience and will help score runs and control the team’s batting, especially in the middle overs.
The onus will be on Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham, who are known to play well against spin, to use it to good effect and play the Windies spinners from one end.
Not only the spinners, but the West Indies fast bowlers will also look to restrict the opposition batsmen in the second powerplay and this is where players like Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell will be expected to support Mitchell and Latham.
Given the depth that New Zealand has in their batting lineup, if they get a good start, they will have the option to dictate the conditions from their perspective.
Bowlers: Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy
As far as New Zealand’s bowling combination is concerned, it is expected to be made up of four fast bowlers and two spinners.
The Blackcaps’ fast bowling department will be handled by Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy, who will in all likelihood take the new ball.
The pair will be assisted by Kyle Jamieson and Jack Foulkes, both of whom will take control in the middle stages of the innings along with spin bowling all-rounders Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell.
The presence of Santner and Bracewell as two spin bowling all-rounders and Kyle Jamieson as a fast bowling all-rounder in the playing eleven provides much-needed depth to New Zealand’s batting lineup ahead of the first ODI against the West Indies.
