New Zealand's Revenge: Conway and Ravindra Centuries Demolish England's World Cup Defence

England's World Cup defence crumbled in Ahmedabad on Thursday, undone by a New Zealand batting display so complete that the reigning champions never had a chance. The Black Caps chased down 282 with nine wickets standing and 14 overs unused—a demolition that felt especially pointed because the tournament organisers had scheduled this match as a rematch of the 2019 final, the one England won in a super over at Lord's. This time there was no drama, no countback, no last-ball tension. There was only the sight of two New Zealand batsmen taking apart an English attack that looked tired before it began.

Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra came together in the second over after Will Young fell to a golden duck, caught down leg by Sam Curran. What followed was a 273-run partnership that felt less like a cricket match and more like a masterclass in controlled aggression. Conway finished unbeaten on 152. Ravindra, promoted to number three for the first time in his ODI career, made 123—more than double his previous best in the format. Between them they struck 30 fours and eight sixes, each blow landing with the weight of accumulated frustration from four years of waiting for this moment.

England's innings had been a study in fragility. Joe Root top-scored with 77, playing with the composure his teammates could not muster, but even his measured approach felt insufficient against what New Zealand would produce. Dawid Malan fell early for 14, caught behind off Matt Henry. Jonny Bairstow made 33 before offering a soft catch to Mitchell Santner. Harry Brook, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes, struck two fours and a six before lifting one straight to Conway at deep midwicket. By the time Moeen Ali lost his stumps to Glenn Phillips, England had slipped to 118 for four. A partnership between Root and Jos Buttler (43) steadied the ship briefly, but Root's departure in the 42nd over—attempting a reverse sweep that became a yorking—left the innings adrift. The final total of 282 for nine felt generous in the moment and proved utterly inadequate within hours.

New Zealand's chase began badly and never recovered its difficulty. Chris Woakes opened the bowling with a half-volley that Conway stroked through cover for four, then shipped ten runs from his first over. When England turned to Mark Wood's pace, the strategy backfired. Conway drove his first ball past him for four. Ravindra followed with a swivel pull for six and a perfectly-timed punch through point. By the end of the powerplay, New Zealand had 81 for one—30 runs ahead of England's pace at the same stage. The momentum had shifted so decisively that even Ben Stokes, emerging from the dugout to offer words of encouragement at the first drinks break, seemed to recognise the match was already lost.

Ravindra turned his attention to Moeen Ali, clubbing him for six in each of his first two overs. Even Adil Rashid's leg-spin could not slow the bleeding. Both batsmen reached centuries—Conway first, Ravindra one ball quicker in just 82 deliveries—and the closing stages became a procession. The finishing touches came off the second ball of the 37th over, with England's bowlers reduced to spectators in a stadium where tens of thousands of empty seats in the 134,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium underscored the one-sided nature of what had unfolded. Where the 2019 final had demanded a super over to separate these teams, this rematch required only a demonstration of which side had genuinely moved forward in the intervening years.