India vs New Zealand: Former Blackcaps legend backs Team India as favourites to lift trophy

Former New Zealand cricketer Ross Taylor believes he has arrived in India just in time as the hosts, India, are gearing up for the highly anticipated clash between two undefeated teams in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

He expressed his satisfaction with New Zealand's strong performance in the tournament so far, particularly highlighting their dominant victories. New Zealand are going to be up against India today at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

India vs New Zealand World Cup Match - A Perfect Setting

"I arrived in India on Friday and it is fantastic to be here in time for what is set to be a great match between the two remaining unbeaten teams. Of course, the fact New Zealand are one of them is particularly pleasing and I have been really impressed with how they have gone about it so far. They have played fantastically well," writes Taylor.

The Kiwis' first match, in which they outplayed England, was noteworthy not just for the win but for the manner in which they secured it. They faced some pressure for brief periods against Afghanistan but otherwise demonstrated a consistent and dominant style of play.

New Zealand Cricket Team's Impressive Depth

What's impressed Taylor most is how New Zealand's depth shone through, especially given the injuries to key players like Tim Southee and Kane Williamson. Stand-in players such as Will Young and Rachin Ravindra stepped up admirably. Rachin's rise from being a surprise inclusion to a crucial part of the team's lineup has caught the eye.

"Everyone has stood up at different stages. A lot has been made of the injuries to Tim Southee and Kane Williamson but the people who have come in have stepped up, particularly Will Young and Rachin Ravindra.

"If you would have said two or three weeks before the tournament that Rachin would have been in the starting line-up, I don't think anyone would have picked that. He pushed himself in there with his performances in the warm-up games and even then, I don't think people thought he would have batted as high up the order as he has," the legendary New Zealand batter writes further.

Ross Taylor hails Tom Latham's captaincy

Tom Latham's leadership, along with the team's ability to perform without Kane Williamson, was acknowledged by Taylor. Their strong start in the competition was seen as crucial, given the challenging fixtures ahead, starting with their clash against India, who have been formidable in their home conditions.

"Tom Latham has stepped up too and shown fantastic leadership. Kane is obviously a big part of the team but they have played well without him for a while through this year and they know they can win without him, which is important," he wrote.

India are favourites to lift WC regarless of outcome in Dharamsala

Taylor reckons New Zealand have a tough streak of games coming up, beginning with India on Sunday. He views India as favorites to win the competition at this stage, regardless of the outcome in Dharamshala. He praised India's impressive performances, with notable contributions from Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and their top-order batsmen.

"India in their home conditions are a different beast and they have started unsurprisingly strongly - I see them as favourites to win the competition at this stage, no matter what happens in Dharamshala tomorrow," the 39-year-old added.

New Zealand have an upper hand over India in ICC Events

However, New Zealand's recent record against India at ICC events has been strong, as they haven't lost to India in such tournaments for two decades. The reasons behind this streak may be mysterious, but it's a fact that adds intrigue to their encounters.

"New Zealand have a strong recent record against India, having not lost this fixture at an ICC event for 20 years. I'm not sure quite what explains why New Zealand keep beating India at these tournaments but if you talk to a lot of Indian supporters, New Zealand are their second favourite team - maybe that has something to do with it, who knows?!"

Four years ago, New Zealand and India faced off in a memorable semi-final in Manchester, marked by iconic moments. Taylor hopes for a similar outcome in the upcoming match and acknowledges that being at the top of the table midway through the tournament would be an ideal position for New Zealand.