<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">New Zealand won the toss and put defending champions England in to bat in the World Cup opener on Thursday with the English missing their talisman Ben Stokes due to a hip injury.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The clash, at the world's biggest cricket stadium in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, is a rematch of the epic 2019 final when England won a tied game on boundary countback.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tom Latham leads New Zealand, who will be without regular captain Kane Williamson and pace bowler Tim Southee, both recovering from injuries.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is also out due to a niggle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Looks a reasonably good surface. Hopefully later on it gets better to bat," Latham said at the toss. "Preparation has been great."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">England skipper Jos Buttler confirmed Stokes is out with a "niggle with his hip".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Harry Brook comes in for Stokes, who was selected for the World Cup as a specialist batsman but will be unable to bowl due to a long-standing knee injury.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Buttler said they would have bowled first had he won the toss.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Looks a really good wicket. Preparation has been okay," said Buttler.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Had a good series against New Zealand at home. Very proud of the achievement four years ago."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Teams</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (wk/capt), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk/capt), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Trent Boult</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Nitin Menon (IND)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TV Umpire: Paul Wilson (AUS)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND) AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>