Wellington: The preparations for the highly anticipated second One Day International (ODI) between India and New Zealand hit a significant roadblock on Friday, as persistent rain forced the cancellation of Team India’s crucial practice session in Wellington. The match, scheduled for Saturday, November 7, comes with high stakes: India will look to gain an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, while the hosts are desperate to bounce back and level the scoreline.
With a short turnaround time between the games in Auckland and Wellington, both teams were granted only a single day of practice following their travel on November 5. However, the weather had other plans. The continuous downpour forced the Indian squad to remain confined to their hotel rooms, completely missing their opportunity to acclimatise to the windy conditions typical of Wellington. Meanwhile, the New Zealand team was forced to adapt, shifting their practice to an indoor training facility.
While players who participated in the earlier T20I series might have some familiarity with Wellington’s challenging, breezy environment, the newer additions to the ODI squad will now have to adapt directly during match situations.
Adding to the camp’s worries is the grim weather forecast for the match day itself. Meteorological predictions suggest a strong chance of rain starting around 3:00 PM local time, exactly when the clash is slated to begin, raising fears among cricket fans of a rain-curtailed or abandoned encounter.
In a positive development for the Indian side, premier fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has officially joined the squad in Wellington after concluding his commitments with the India A team. The team management now faces a critical selection dilemma. Taking the overcast, seam-friendly conditions into consideration, they must decide whether to bring Siraj directly into the playing XI, which could mean benching a pacer to find the right bowling combination for the conditions.