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New Zealand pair Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra gave defending champions England a reality check in the ODI World Cup 2023 opener. The southpaw duo made a mockery of the English bowling attack as they guided the Kiwis to the target of 283 without breaking a sweat to break a few records. They shared a 273-run partnership for the second wicket which is now the highest for any wicket against England in ODI World Cup history. At the same time, they broke the record for highest partnership in an ODI World Cup run chase.
The previous record belonged to Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga. The Sri Lankan pair shared an unbeaten 231-run opening partnership against Andrew Strauss' England in the 2011 World Cup.
More partnership records broken
It is New Zealand's first-ever 200-run partnership in the ODI World Cup. The previous record belonged to Lee Germon and Chris Harris who shared a 168-run stand against Australia in the 1996 edition of the World Cup.
The previous-highest partnership for New Zealand against England belonged to Jacob Oram and Scott Styris. They shared an unbeaten 138-run stand for the fifth wicket against the English side in the 2007 World Cup.
More records were broken as the partnership progressed. It is the highest partnership for any wicket in the ODI World Cup on Indian soil. South Africa's Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers shared a 221-run partnership against the Netherlands in the 2011 World Cup.
Some partnership records survive
It is the second-highest partnership against England in ODIs overall. Sanath Jayasuriya and Tharanga's record of 286-run opening partnership created in 2006 remained unbroken. It is New Zealand's second-highest partnership for any wicket as well. Brendon McCullum and James Marshall had shared a 274-run opening partnership against Ireland in 2008.
Conway, Ravindra’s massive feats
Conway remained unbeaten for 152 off 121 balls including 19 fours and three sixes. It is the second-highest individual score for New Zealand in the World Cup. Ravindra scored an unbeaten 123 off 96 deliveries featuring 11 fours and five sixes. The 23-year-old became the youngest Kiwi batter to score a century in the World Cup.
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