Heavy Rain Forces Cancellation of New Zealand vs India 3rd ODI in Hamilton
The much-anticipated third One Day International between New Zealand and India at Seddon Park, Hamilton, was called off without a single ball bowled because of persistent heavy rain. This match was part of the five-game series scheduled for Tuesday.
Series Context
Prior to this match, India had established a 2-0 lead after a thrilling victory in the second ODI on Saturday. The win came through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method by a narrow margin of four runs. Indian bowlers Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar played key roles, with figures of 2/31 and 4/3 respectively, bowling out New Zealand for just 134 runs in 41 overs. India then chased down the rain-reduced target of 110 runs in 26 overs.
Weather Impact and Match Details
Rain forced delays throughout the day. The toss was postponed several times due to wet conditions, with a final inspection at 15:45 local time (8:15 IST). The match was intended to be a 40-over game per side with adjusted playing conditions:
- Maximum overs per bowler: 8
- Powerplay 1: Overs 1-8
- Powerplay 2: Overs 9-32
- Powerplay 3: Overs 33-40
The cut-off time for starting a minimum 20-over game was set at 20:02 local time (12:32 IST), but rain made it impossible to begin play, resulting in the match being abandoned.
Team Lineups for the Third ODI
- New Zealand: Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (captain), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher
- India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh
Challenges for New Zealand
New Zealand has faced difficulty with their batting so far in the series, struggling against seam and swing on fresh pitches. Injuries have also impacted their squad, notably with pacers Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry sidelined.
