[Watch] Devon Conway Unleashes 'Glorious' Straight drive in World Cup warm-up clash
Conway in action [Twitter]
Devon Conway seems to have hit the strides early for the 2023 World Cup in India as the experienced New Zealand opener struck a "glorious" straight drive in the warm-up encounter against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (October 2).
The elegant left-hander played the most perfect off-drive on a full-pitched delivery presented by Proteas seamer Gerald Coetzee, who would've been shocked by the speed at which the ball rolled along the turf after Conway found the sweet spot on his willow.
The bat came down in the most beautifully straight alignment as the solid Kiwi opener left no possibility of any late movement undoing his downswing or taking the edge. Conway never looked to hit the ball too hard either and focused on optimum connection, which was evident in how quickly the ball raced off the grass to hit the boundary rope.
[Watch] Conway's mesmerising shot
A lovely clip of the picture-perfect stroke was shared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on their Instagram handle, instantly grabbing the fans' attention as they couldn't help but marvel at the aesthetics of the shot on display and anticipate a bumper World Cup campaign for the New Zealand batter.
It was just the kind of shot Conway would've hoped for early in the proceedings, helping him settle his eyes in the middle after missing out badly in New Zealand's first warm-up clash of the tournament against Pakistan in Hyderabad on Friday (September 29).
Conway, who was out for a golden duck against Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali and failed to capitalize on one of the flattest pitches, regained his scoring ways this time and went on to produce an unbeaten half-century versus the Proteas.
He is one of the key members of the BlackCaps outfit in a World Cup that would truly test their skill and the depth of their resources. Playing in Indian conditions, New Zealand would bank on their strongest players of spin - Conway, skipper Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell - to propel them to strong totals.