The second one-day international between India and New Zealand in Wellington got off to a frustrating start on Saturday, as rain and a wet outfield delayed the beginning of play and forced the match to be shortened. The toss, which was due at 7:10 AM IST, could not take place on schedule, and with the original start time of 7:30 AM IST passing without any play, officials were left waiting for the weather to clear. The match was eventually reduced to 47 overs per side, and the toss was held at around 8:00 AM IST, when India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first.
India go into the match leading the five-match series 1-0 after winning the rain-curtailed opener in Auckland on Wednesday by five wickets. In that match, New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs before India chased down the target, with Virat Kohli leading the way with a sparkling 74 off just 51 balls. A second win in Wellington would put the visitors firmly in control, while New Zealand cannot afford to fall 2-0 behind on home soil.
Both sides named unchanged teams for the Wellington match, a sign of how settled the two squads are despite the rain interruptions that have already shaped this series. For India, the decision to bowl first after winning the toss made sense in the conditions, with the wet outfield and overcast skies expected to offer assistance to the bowlers early on. Gill’s call also reflected the pattern of the series so far, in which rain has repeatedly shortened matches and made chasing a more attractive option.
New Zealand were forced into one change before the series even began, with opener Devon Conway ruled out of the entire series after suffering a concussion in training. Nick Kelly has replaced him in the squad, and the hosts have had to reshuffle their batting order to cope with the loss of a key player at the top. Conway’s absence is a significant blow for New Zealand, who were already facing a formidable Indian side full of in-form batsmen.
The New Zealand XI for the match is Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham as wicketkeeper, Glenn Phillips, captain Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy and Blair Tickner. India fielded Shubman Gill as captain, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul as wicketkeeper, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh. Both teams will be hoping the weather holds long enough for a full contest, though the forecast is not encouraging.
Rain remains the biggest threat to the match, with a 60 per cent chance of further showers forecast for the day. Wellington is no stranger to weather interruptions, and the Basin Reserve has seen its share of rain-affected fixtures over the years. Ground staff worked hard to make the outfield playable.
The series has already been shaped by the weather, with the Auckland opener curtailed and now the Wellington match shortened before a ball was bowled. For fans who woke up early in India to watch the action, the delay was a familiar frustration, but the hope is that the shortened format will still produce a lively contest. With Kohli in form, Gill leading a settled side and New Zealand desperate to level the series, the stage is set for an absorbing encounter, provided the rain stays away long enough to let the players decide the outcome on the field.
