DHARAMSALA: India at home are a “different beast” and remain favourites to win the ongoing World Cup, former New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor said on Saturday.

The hosts meet fellow unbeaten New Zealand in a marquee clash on Sunday in the Himalayan hill town of Dharamsala, which will witness a first loss in the tournament for one of the teams.

New Zealand and former champions India, led by Rohit Sharma, have four wins each with the Kiwis top of the 10-team table with a better run-rate.

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“India in their home conditions are a different beast and they have started unsurprisingly strongly - I see them as favourites to win the competition at this stage, no matter what happens in Dharamsala tomorrow,” Taylor said in an International Cricket Council (ICC) column.

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But Taylor, an aggressive batsman who retired last year after being part of two World Cups finals in 2015 and 2019, said a packed home crowd will bring the best out of New Zealand.

“The crowd will naturally play a part but I think New Zealand will thrive in that atmosphere,” said Taylor.

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“Every time you come here, you play in front of full crowds and you know you’ll be up against it.”

New Zealand come into the game with a 5-3 record against India at the 50-over showpiece and came out on top in the 2019 semi-final at Manchester.

Taylor hopes for a similar result on Sunday, saying, “top of the table at the halfway stage would be a great place to be”.