Rain once again spoilt the second One-Day International between India and New Zealand in Wellington today. India were chasing 135 runs when another spell of rain took the players off the field leaving the match finely poised.
At the time of writing India were 113/7 after 26 overs needing another 22 to win. Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul was unbeaten and India’s last hope of completing the chase.
Rain Delays Start of the Match
The match had already been affected by weather before the first ball was bowled. Heavy rain and a wet outfield delayed the toss at Hnry Stadium by an hour or so.
After the conditions improved the match was reduced to 47 overs per side. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first hoping to make use of the conditions.
The weather continued to plague the contest as another interruption came during India’s run chase.
Gurnoor Brar Leads India's Bowling Attack
India bowled well to restrict New Zealand to just 134 runs in 41 overs.
Gurnoor Brar took four wickets and put the home side under pressure. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj both took two wickets as well.
Daryl Mitchell top scored for New Zealand with 55 but the rest of the batting line-up struggled to build partnerships. India bowlers regularly picked up wickets and prevented NZ from posting a competitive total.
The visitors went into the chase needing 135 runs to win and take a 2-0 lead in the five match ODI series.
New Zealand Fight Back During India's Chase
India’s chase didn’t get off to the start they wanted. The top order struggled against New Zealand’s pace attack with captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli among the early wickets.
Rohit Sharma also failed to make a big contribution and New Zealand bowlers kept on piling pressure on Indian middle order.
Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy were outstanding taking three wickets each. Disciplined bowling got New Zealand back into the game despite a small target.
India lost seven wickets before 113 was reached so the chase was made more difficult in the final stages.
KL Rahul Keeps India's Hopes Alive
KL Rahul became the man in the middle in the dying overs of the match. Wickets fell around him but he stayed at the crease and tried to guide India towards the target.
When rain stopped play Rahul was not out on 26 from 38 balls. Auqib Nabi was batting alongside him on one run.
India needed 22 runs from the last three overs (three wickets left). Rahul’s experience and ability to cope with pressure could be important if play resumes.
DLS Rule Adds to the Drama
Rain also brought the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method into focus. When the players went off the field India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score.
The cut off time for a possible restart was 3:30 PM IST as per live commentary. If rain did not stop by then India would be declared winners under DLS method.
The match therefore remained undecided Rahul at the crease and weather both were important. India needed to extend their series lead while New Zealand needed a late breakthrough to keep their hopes alive.
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