World Cup: India vs New Zealand match abandoned due to rain

Indian skipper Virat Kohli said, "Disappointing not to get any game time at all. From the players point of view and where the teams are placed, it was better suited not to take the field when it is not safe to play. Don't want an injury at this stage."

The umpires said, "It's been unfortunate but that's the way it is. The groundstaff did their best but the weather 48 hours prior to today made it really difficult for them."

It's final!

The match has been abandoned because the rain was not stopping. 

A soggy outfield from overnight showers had already delayed the start of the contest between the tournament's only two unbeaten side.

Umpires Marais Erasmus and Paul Reiffel carried out almost hourly inspections in the intermittent drizzle before finally throwing in the towel in the afternoon.

This was the fourth match to be either called off or abandoned in the rain-hit tournament with many questioning the absence of reserve days for group matches.

New Zealand top the table with seven points, two ahead of India who have played one game fewer.

Next inspection is at 7:30 pm. 

Can not expect more than another washout! 

The rain is very heavy right now. 

A look-over was supposed to happen at 6pm IST but due to the heavy rains, no update has been provided so far now. 

Umpires have done an inspection but wet patches are there on the square. 

Not at all a pleasant view for the spectators here...

Another inspection is needed now. 

Former India cricketer Sourav Ganguly is saying that match is not possible because the outfield is damp and the light is insufficient. 

He has also raised some serious question on the type of covers being used at Trent Bridge as they are not covering the entire ground. 

The covers are coming off!!!

As of now, the rain has stopped. 

The umpires were supposed to inspect the situation at 16:00 IST but, it is rainy again, heavy this time. 

Even if the match happens, it is expected to be a curtailed one as there is forecast of intermittent showers through the day. 

Good news from Nottingham, covers are being removed as the rain has stopped. 

The umpires will do inspection at 16:00 IST.

Covers again!

Overnight and early morning rain delayed the start of the World Cup match between India and New Zealand in Nottingham. 

The covers were removed after the rain stopped, with groundstaff at Trent Bridge working hard to dry the playing surface.

But the rain then started to come down heavily and the covers came back on.

The toss has been delayed due to wet out field. 

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Ross Taylor said:

New Zealand's steady supply of left-handed batsmen will come in handy in Thursday's World Cup match against an India, said Ross Taylor.  

"Obviously Shikhar is a big loss to India," Taylor told reporters at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. 

"He and Rohit Sharma have a very good partnership, and I think they complement each other well because they're right and left-handed. 

"I think we've had a similar balanced side for a long time, and when you do have a right-left hand combination, it does put pressure in different ways on the bowling opposition."

A left-right combination forces bowlers to alter line and length while the fielding captain is also compelled to tinker with field settings every time the batsmen change ends.

Taylor said such variety in the batting lineup was necessary to make the most of the World Cup grounds.

Stats and Facts:

Bowlers of both the sides are capable of exploiting overcast condition so the captain will opt to bowl first after winning the toss. 

Squads

India: Virat Kohli (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, Rohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), Tom Blundell (wk), Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Colin Munro, Ish Sodhi, Henry Nicholls, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Jimmy Neesham

Preview:

The Indian team's alternative strategy in the absence of an injured Shikhar Dhawan will be put through a stern test by a feisty New Zealand attack ready to ask a few probing questions if weather does not play spoilsport in their World Cup encounter here Thursday. 

The contest, which could be a curtailed one due to inclement weather, will have a quality Black Caps seam attack ready to make life difficult for a new opening pair that is likely to feature KL Rahul at the top alongside Rohit Sharma. 

Dhawan has been ruled out of at least the next three games owing to a hairline fracture in his left thumb. 

New Zealand have had a good record against India at global events. Kane Williamson's men would be more than determined to win four-on-trot and maintain their pole position. 

Dhawan has unintentionally forced Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri to go for a tactical rejig despite convincing performances in the first two games against South Africa and Australia. 

If being forced to tinker with a successful opening combination that has cumulatively scored 4681 runs is a bit unsettling, there is also a positive side to the Dhawan injury saga.
It has provided India with an opportunity to test how good their Plan B is.  

Rahul's probable elevation at the top will certainly bring Vijay Shankar and Dinesh Karthik into the picture as far as the No.4 slot is concerned. 

Hello! And welcome to the Match 18 of the Cricket World Cup 2019 which is between India and New Zealand in Nottingham. 

Get live updates, facts and stats related to the match. 

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