The winter season has just arrived in Dharamsala and amid this men in blue are all set to play in the beautiful venue located in the city. India will face New Zealand at HPCA Stadium Dharamsala on October 22. Dharamsala has hosted 3 matches of World Cup 2023 already. Meanwhile, ahead of the mega clash, fans especially fantasy game players are keen to know the stats of Dharamsala Stadium such as pitch report, records, and last ODI match scorecard. Here, you will discover key facts and analysis of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala ahead of the IND vs NZ clash.

During CWC 2023, HPCA Stadium will host 5 games, 3 of which are already concluded. Following the IND vs NZ clash on October 22, the Kiwi side will once again play at the venue, in another highly anticipated clash against their arch-rival Australia on October 28.

Stats of CWC 2023 Matches in HPCA Stadium

In the 3 World Cup matches Dharamsala has hosted so far, we saw a different story in each game. The opening match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan was a low-scoring one where Afghans were restricted to 156 runs by the Bangla Tigers. Following ENG vs BAN clash saw the English side posting a mammoth 364-run total which was too much to chase for the Shakib-led side.

The 3rd match was affected by rain and due to this the overs in each innings were reduced to 43. While batting first, the Dutch side unexpectedly posted a 245-run on board, thanks to their skipper Scott Edwards’ unbeaten 78-run knock. Now all they needed to give early blows to South Africans and they succeeded in doing so. The Temba Bavuma-led side lost 4 wickets at the score of 44 runs and ultimately fell 38 runs short of the target.

Matches played in CWC 2023: 3
Matches won by the team batting first: 2
Matches won by the team batting second: 1
Highest score while batting first: England – 364/9 (50) vs Bangladesh
Lowest team score while batting first: Afghanistan – 156/10 (37.2) vs Bangladesh
Biggest total chased: Bangladesh chased 156 vs Afghanistan
Lowest Score Defended: Netherlands defended 245 vs South Africa
HPCA Stadium average 1st innings score in World Cup 2023: 255
HPCA Stadium average 2nd innings score in World Cup 2023: 197
Best bowling figures for a spinner: Mahedi Hasan (BAN) – 4/71 vs England
Best bowling figures for a pacer: Reece Topley (ENG) – 4/43 vs Bangladesh
Wickets taken by spinners: 17 in 3 games (5.6 wickets per match)
Wickets taken by pacers: 33 in 3 games (11 wickets per match)
Highest score by a batsman: Dawid Malan – 140(107) vs Bangladesh

Dharamsala Stadium Pitch Report for IND vs NZ ODI

In World Cup 2023, Dharmsala pitch is offering a great pace and bounce to the seamers. So playing with 3 pacers and a fast bowling all-rounder will be the ideal choice here. Team India is going to miss Hardik Pandya’s services in the game against New Zealand, so it might prove a big blow for them. On Sunday, we may see, R Ashwin replacing Pandya. Looking at the conditions, Rahul Dravid-led management may play Mohammed Shami ahead of Shardul Thakur.

As far as the Kiwi bowling attack is concerned, likes of Boult and Ferguson may give hard time to Indian batters at Dharamsala ground. The spin bowlers are also proven to be effective in Dharamsala as they are taking an average of 3 wickets in each innings.

In the three CWC 2023 matches held in Dharamshala so far, chasing a target has proven to be a challenging task. However, in the upcoming IND vs NZ clash, the toss-winning team may opt to field first as both sides possess bowlers who can give early blows. Also, both teams have a reliable batting line-up who can chase a big target.

IND vs NZ Head-to-head in ODIs and Winner Prediction

Both sides have faced each other 116 times before in the ODI format. In the overall record, with 58 wins, India has had the upper hand on the Kiwis who have won 50. However, New Zealand has dominated Indians in the ICC events.

Currently, both India and New Zealand are unbeaten in the World Cup 2023 having won their first 4 game. So on paper, it is an equal contest but Kiwis may have a slight advantage on Sunday as the Dharamsala pitch will suit them as New Zealand usually plays on fast pitches. Also, after Hardik Pandya’s ouster, India may struggle to field a balanced XI. We reckon New Zealand will win their straight 5th game on Sunday.

Dharamsala Weather During IND vs NZ Match

If the report from Accuweather is to be believed, there are 43% chance of rain on October 22. It is likely to be a cloudy day in Dharamsala with the temperature ranging between 14 degree Celsius to 24 degree Celsius.

ALSO READ: Wankhede Stadium Mumbai Pitch Report for World Cup 2023, ODI Records and Last Match Scorecard

Last ODI Match Scorecard at HPCA Dharamsala

Dharamsala hosted the last match on October 17, a clash between South Africa and the Netherlands. This dutch side stunned Proteas in a rain-affected 43 overs per side match.

Netherlands : 245-8 (43)	South Africa : 207-10 (42.5)
Scott Edwards : 78*(69)	David Miller : 43(52)
Van der Merwe : 29(19)	Keshav Maharaj : 40(37)
Aryan Dutt : 23*(9)	Henrich Klassen : 28(28)

Marco Jansen : 8 – 1 – 27 – 2	Logan van Beek : 8.5 – 0 – 60 – 3
Kagiso Rabada : 9 – 1 – 56 – 2	Roelof van der Merwe : 9 – 0 – 34 – 2
Lungi Ngidi : 9 – 1 – 57 – 2	Bas de Leede : 8 – 0 – 36 – 2