Online Desk: Netherlands won the toss and elected to field Monday against a New Zealand lineup that will be missing skipper Kane Williamson for a second successive game at the Cricket World Cup. New Zealand made a big statement with a thumping nine-wicket win over defending champion England in the tournament opener last week.

Tom Latham will again lead the team in the absence of injured Williamson. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson returned from injury to replace James Neesham in the only change to New Zealand’s XI. Netherlands made two changes to the lineup that lost to Pakistan, with allrounder Sybrand Engelbrecht and fast bowler Ryan Klein replacing Saqib Zulfiqar and the injured Logan van Beek. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra dominated the England bowlers with aggressive unbeaten centuries as New Zealand made short work of the 283-run target.

Ravindra has been revelation for the Black Caps with his brilliant all-round performance in the absence of Williamson, who is expected to take the field against Bangladesh at Chennai on Friday. Conway made 152 and Ravindra scored 123 as the left-handers shared a record-breaking 273-run partnership against England’s pace and spin in a small measure of revenge for the narrow result in the 2019 final. Netherlands showed some spark against Pakistan before losing by 81 runs in its opening game. Bas de Leede’s brilliant allround show went in vain against Pakistan’s fearsome pace attack, led by Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi. De Leede picked up four wickets with his medium fast bowling and then scored a gritty 67 before Netherlands batters capitulated.