India vs New Zealand 3rd ODI Abandoned Without A Ball Bowled Due To Rain: India Maintain 2-0 Series Lead

Rain played spoilsport as the third ODI between India and New Zealand was abandoned at Seddon Park on Tuesday without a ball being bowled.

India continue to lead the five-match series 2-0, with the remaining two matches set to be played in Tauranga on November 13 and 15.

India vs New Zealand 3rd ODI Called Off Due To Rain

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss for the third consecutive time and elected to bowl. The visitors also stuck with the same playing XI that featured in the first two ODIs.

The match was initially reduced to 40 overs per side as rain continued to affect proceedings. However, just as the ground staff began removing the covers, rain returned and delayed the start once again.

With the weather showing no signs of improvement, the umpires eventually called off the match. There were still around 70 minutes left before the local cut-off time of 7:50 pm, beyond which a 20-over contest would not have been possible.

Rain had been a major concern even before the match, with the weather forecast predicting a 90 per cent chance of showers throughout the day.

Shubman Gill, KL Rahul To Miss Last Two ODIs

The abandoned match was also the final ODI of the series for Shubman Gill and KL Rahul. Both players will now join India’s Test squad in Wellington ahead of their upcoming commitments.

Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj and Mohammed Siraj will also link up with the Test squad.

With Gill unavailable for the final two matches, Shreyas Iyer is set to lead India in Tauranga. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan are also expected to get opportunities in the playing XI for the remaining games.

India's squad for last two ODIs vs NZ

Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav