India and New Zealand Face Rain Threat Ahead of Third ODI in Hamilton
India aims to secure the series at Seddon Park, while forecast rain and hailstorms threaten to interrupt play.
India enters the third One Day International against New Zealand on Tuesday at Seddon Park in Hamilton, holding a 2-0 lead in the series. The visitors are looking to secure a series-clinching victory, but inclement weather threatens to disrupt proceedings.
The match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM local time, which translates to 7:30 AM IST. Fans in India can watch the broadcast on television and live-stream the match digitally, though sources differ on the exact platform depending on regional networks, with mentions of Star Sports and JioHotstar alongside Sony Sports Network and SonyLiv.
New Zealand is fighting to preserve an 11-series unbeaten home run in the ODI format, with their previous home series defeat also coming against India back in 2019. The hosts have struggled against India's bowling attack, particularly facing a heavy barrage of short-pitched deliveries from the visiting seamers.
In the previous encounter in Wellington, New Zealand nearly pulled off an upset after reducing India to a low total, but a disciplined innings from KL Rahul and the DLS method helped India scrape through with a three-wicket win. Compounding New Zealand's challenges are several injuries to regular players, including Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Blair Tickner, leaving senior batters like Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls under pressure to perform.
Weather forecasts for Hamilton predict cold and wet conditions on Tuesday, with a strong likelihood of rain and hailstorms. A potential washout could provide New Zealand with a lifeline to keep the series alive, especially as India prepares to transition key personnel toward the upcoming two-match Test series.
Squad changes loom for the Indian side as several players prepare to join the Test squad ahead of the opening match in Wellington on November 19. Captain Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper KL Rahul are set to depart after this fixture, with Shreyas Iyer taking over the captaincy and Ishan Kishan stepping in behind the stumps for the remaining games of the tour.
Seddon Park historically presents a challenging venue for India in this format, having recorded one win and six losses against New Zealand at the ground. However, star batter Virat Kohli boasts a strong individual record at Seddon Park, averaging 58.33 across four ODI innings at the venue.