NZ vs IND 3rd ODI Washed Out in Hamilton
Rain had the final say at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday, forcing the third One-Day International between New Zealand and India to be abandoned without a single ball being bowled. India retain their 2-0 lead in the five-match series and can no longer lose it.
The match was called off at around 6:45 pm local time, about an hour before the cut-off for a 20-over contest, after persistent rain of varying intensity made conditions unplayable. The forecast had given a 90 per cent chance of rain throughout the day.
Toss happened, but no play was possible
There was a brief window in the downpour that allowed the toss to take place. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss for the third successive time in the series and elected to bowl, with the match initially reduced to 40 overs per side. The covers started to come off around 4 pm local time, an hour after the scheduled start, but the rain returned before play could begin and never really stopped for long enough for the groundstaff to get the covers off again.
The two captains eventually shook hands with no sign of the rain stopping, and the umpires called the game off. It had started raining in Hamilton on the afternoon before the match and rarely let up after that.
New Zealand’s home streak comes to an end
The washout ended New Zealand’s streak of eleven consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home — the second-longest such streak in men’s ODI history. Coming into the third ODI 2-0 behind, New Zealand can now only hope to draw the series in the two remaining matches.
India began the series with a five-wicket win in the rain-affected opener, and were 113 for 7 when rain stopped play in the second match, four runs ahead of the DLS par score, handing them a 2-0 advantage.
What happens next
Both teams now travel to Mount Maunganui, where the final two ODIs will be played on Friday, November 13, and Sunday, November 15. The weather outlook there looks much better, and the series should get the grandstand finish it deserves before the two teams start their two-Test series.
Shubman Gill and KL Rahul will now join India’s Test squad to prepare for the two-Test series that follows the ODIs.
India’s wait for an ODI series win on New Zealand soil now stretches to seven years, but with a 2-0 lead and two matches to play, they cannot lose the series — they only need a win in Mount Maunganui to seal it.
Source: ESPNcricinfo, Deccan Herald, Sportstar (The Hindu), Times of India