ODI World Cup 2023: Tim Southee likely to play in Dharamsala - NZ stand-in skipper Tom Latham

New Zealand’s stand-in skipper Tom Latham is embracing the opportunity to play Tim Southee in the ODI World Cup contest against India in Dharamsala as they get ready for the high-voltage contest. Both India and New Zealand will meet in the ODI World Cup match on Sunday (Oct 22) with both teams only separated by Net Run Rate (NRR) while winning all of the four matches so far. Southee has an injured thumb while regular skipper Kane Williamson is also unavailable due to the same injury suffered against Bangladesh.

New Zealand ready for the match

"Yeah, obviously I definitely stayed up for the All Blacks and watched them. It was a great contest, obviously Kiwis support each other wherever that may be around the world and we're certainly no different in supporting the All Blacks and obviously we've had so much support back home for us here and this World Cup as well," Latham said in the pre-match press conference.

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"So obviously great to see you know that they're there for another week and good luck to them next week's going to be a great contest and yeah Kane's obviously still nursing his thumb injury. It's a day-by-day process with him as well. Fingers crossed he'll be available for later on in the tournament. And in regards to Tim, he's available for selection," Latham added.

Southee was injured in the England tour and was feared to miss the entire World Cup however he made it to the main tournament despite missing the early stage. He has been an important part of the national side along with Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson. On the flip side, Williamson’s injury has also been a key concern for the management. Williamson got injured during the Bangladesh match and had to retire hurt having been in excruciating pain.

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New Zealand in top form

Despite the injuries, New Zealand have hardly suffered from any crisis on the field as they have gotten the better of England, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. On the other hand, India have also got off to a good start as they have beaten Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The contest on Sunday will be a repeat of the 2019 World Cup semifinal, where India lost to New Zealand in a heart-breaking contest in Manchester.

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