Australia vs New Zealand: First-timers ready to shine on the big stage
The Australia-New Zealand rivalry has been one of the most awaited fixtures in the cricket calendar year. The tie has been filled with emotions, and as recent results have suggested, neither gives away the opportunity of getting one-up over the other. As they get set to meet each other on the world stage yet again, there will be a lot of new faces in either side experiencing the rush for the first time. (Full Coverage|| Fixtures||Photos)
New Zealand
Colin Munro: The 29-year old rose to the scene back in 2012 when his impressive batting for Auckland saw him get a call-up for the South Africa tour. Questions on his consistency have often been raised in the traditional format of the game, but his impressive T20 record could give the Australian’s a tough time.
Henry Nicholls: He comes as a surprise name in the T20 world having not played a single international game of the format. The left handed batsman has featured in just 2 Tests and 10 ODI’s.
Mitchell McClenaghan: While a regular for the Black Caps over the recent years, McClenagahan missed the opportunity to feature against Australia following a facial injury right before the series.
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Australia
Peter Nevill: Wicketkeeper Nevil hasn’t yet established himself as a regular in the limited-overs game. The 30-year old has featured in just 3 T20I’s and is yet to make his ODI debut. He doesn’t boast the best batting record, having made just two 50s in 12 Test appearances.
Andrew Tye: He featured in the recent series against India and South Africa, playing three T20I games, picking up two wickets in the course. The 29-year old could prove to be a major threat with his yorkers as shown during his time with the Perth Scorchers.
Ashton Agar: The left-arm spinner is more renowned for his batting exploits in that ‘Ashtonishing’ Ashes Test at Trent Bridge in 2013. He also picked up Alastair Cook’s wicket that debut match of his. After two and half years on the sidelines since, he made his T20 debut against South Africa, but proved ineffective, conceding 25 runs of his two overs.
