India hold on to series lead after Hamilton ODI abandoned due to rain

Without a single ball being bowled, the third One-Day International (ODI) between India and New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton was abandoned, leaving India 2-0 ahead with two matches remaining and certain of winning the series. In the end, rain played spoilsport, disrupting practice sessions and hanging over the game for two days.

The contest had been reduced to 40 overs per side by the time the captains finally left, and it had been delayed again when the showers returned, delaying the toss by another half an hour with no runs lost. Mitchell Santner was handed his seventh loss of the tour when Shubman Gill made the correct call and chose to bowl. However, the rain returned before the players could take the field.

An inspection was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. local time, and the covers came and went throughout the evening, only for the rain to return. The umpires called it off at 6:41 PM, well ahead of the 8:02 PM cutoff for a 20-over game, as the outfield needed at least 30 to 40 minutes to prepare and the rain was still falling.

While New Zealand brought in Matthew Fisher to replace Blair Tickner, India kept the same XI.

To even the series, the hosts must now win both of their remaining games on Friday and Sunday at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. And they will have to do it without Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham and Nathan Smith, who all leave to join the Test squad. India will lose Gill and KL Rahul for the same reason.