Online Desk: The Cricket World Cup opened Thursday with New Zealand gaining a measure of revenge for how the last one ended four years ago. The rematch of the extraordinary 2019 final got a very different result as the Blacks Caps powered to a nine-wicket thrashing of England, whose title defense is off to an alarming start.

England, without star batter Ben Stokes because of a hip injury, was put into bat and posted 282-9 — a score that always seemed well below par at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. That’s how it proved as New Zealand raced to its target in just 36.2 overs, with Devon Conway (152 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (123 not out) putting on a virtually chanceless second-wicket stand of 273 to help the team to 283-1. The chase was achieved without captain Kane Williamson, who still has yet to recover from a knee injury.

Conway’s 83-ball hundred was the Black Caps’ fastest at a World Cup — but only until the 23-year-old all-rounder Ravindra went quicker, off 82 balls, to also become New Zealand’s youngest century-maker. Joe Root top-scored with 77 for England, which at least made some history after all batters scored double figures. It’s the first time that has happened in the history of ODIs, totaling 4,658 matches. There was a sparse crowd for the start of the 13th edition of the 50-over World Cup, though the cavernous 134,000-seater stadium was slightly fuller by the time the one-sided match ended.