AUS vs NZ: Tom Latham wary of in-form Australia ahead of trans-Tasman clash in World Cup 2023

Tom Latham is wary of the threat posed by the in-form Australian side ahead of New Zealand’s clash with them in the World Cup 2023 on October 28.

In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, Australia’s performance saw a significant turnaround after a disappointing start. The Australian team, led by captain Pat Cummins, initially suffered losses in their opening matches against India and South Africa. These defeats were particularly notable as Australia, a five-time champion, was considered one of the favorites entering the tournament.

The loss to South Africa was especially devastating, marking Australia’s biggest defeat in an ICC ODI World Cup with a 135-run loss.

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Their resurgence was marked by a record-breaking victory over the Netherlands, where Glenn Maxwell scored a 40-ball hundred, the fastest ever in a Cricket World Cup. His impressive performance, which included nine fours and eight sixes, helped Australia secure a massive 309-run win over the Netherlands.

Australia is sitting fourth in the standings with six points from five matches. They are now chasing their fourth consecutive victory.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Latham said that the Aussies are playing some fantastic cricket at the moment. The stand-in New Zealand skipper hailed Australia as one of the best sides in the world, who cannot be taken lightly.

Latham said he expects the Aussies to be at their best in Dharamsala.

“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, and 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,” said Latham.