New Zealand’s preparations for the second ODI against India have been hit by the news that opener Devon Conway will miss the remainder of the five-match series with concussion, while rain threatens to disrupt the match itself in Wellington on Saturday, 7 November.
Conway suffered the injury in a collision with teammate Matt Henry during a fielding drill at Eden Park on 3 November, and was already sidelined for the opening match of the series in Auckland, which India won by five wickets. He has now been diagnosed with concussion and will miss the last four ODIs, with the aim of having him fit for the two-match Test series that begins in Wellington on 19 November.
The news is better for Henry, who was checked after the same collision and has been cleared of concussion. He is in contention to return to New Zealand’s XI for the second ODI. Left-handed batter Nick Kelly, originally named in the squad for the last two games, has been called up as Conway’s replacement and will join the group in Wellington on Friday.
New Zealand were already without all-rounder Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman, both ruled out of the ODI series before it began, so Conway’s absence leaves the hosts short of batting depth against an Indian side in form. Mitchell Santner captains a team that must now find a way to level the series without three of its first-choice players.
The weather may yet do what New Zealand’s bowlers could not. Persistent rain through the first half of Friday forced both teams to alter their training plans, with New Zealand moving indoors to Wellington College and India calling off their session altogether. More rain is forecast for Saturday, with a 60 per cent chance of precipitation in the first half of the day and 55 per cent in the second, according to AccuWeather.
The first ODI was weather-affected too. New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs — Arshdeep Singh taking four for 70, Gurnoor Brar three for 44 and Anshul Kamboj two for 22 — before rain revised India’s target to 143 in 32 overs. Virat Kohli anchored the chase with 74 off 51 balls, and India won by five wickets in 22.4 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
The second ODI begins at 7.30 am IST on Saturday at the Hnry Stadium in Wellington, with the toss at 7 am. It is a ground where India have happy memories — their last ODI win in New Zealand before this series came by 35 runs in Wellington in February 2019. Shubman Gill leads the side for the first three games of the series; after the third ODI in Hamilton on 10 November, he leaves to prepare for the Tests, and Shreyas Iyer takes charge for the final two games at Mount Maunganui.
For India, the task is simple: win in Wellington and the series is all but decided. For New Zealand, short-handed and weather-worried, it is a test of resilience — and of whether the rain will give them a reprieve or take the match away altogether.
