So a tour which started with an abandoned match ends with a no result. New Zealand keep their winning streak alive in home ODI series, as they now plan for Pakistan, while some of India's players fly to Bangladesh. Cricket has become like time: it never stops. But thanks for your company for this series, as Raghav, Suds and me, Himanshu, bid you goodbye!
Daniel: "Don't mind it, it's been part of the rules for ages and adds to the intrigue of the contest. The NZ bowling innings was very slow because it only had two overs of spin, maybe if they'd sped up, we'd have got two more in before the rain" --- After all, there's always more than one way of looking at the same thing
Kane Williamson, the series-winning captain: "It's been going on reasonably well. The first game became series-defining. Little bit odd to have so much rain. [On using Mitchell] The seamers were getting something from the wicket. He did a fantastic job bowling with the wind. The focus shifts to the Test arena [for the Pakistan series]. There's freshness to that, new faces. But it'll be good to have time off."
Shikhar Dhawan after another washout: "We are a young unit, and they must have learnt about bowling in the good-length areas. We were on the shorter side. Also, taking the partnerships deep, especially when it's overcast. In Bangladesh, all senior players will be back. That will be a more practical journey towards the World Cup. [For the juniors] It is important to pick up the details: like where to pitch the ball and the lengths."
Tom Latham is the Player of the Series: "You can reflect nicely [on the 145* in the first ODI]. We bowled fantastically well. There was a little bit of assistance from the wicket. The way Finn and Devon played, they absorbed pressure at the start. The more we play with each other around the world, the more you build friendships."
Three out of six games on the tour get rained out, and one ended in a tie because of rain. So technically, only two games produced a result, as India took the T20Is by the same scoreline as New Zealand won the ODIs.
Neil: "Context should be taken into consideration. If NZ was chasing 300 then fair enough for it to be called a draw after 18 overs. But NZ were around half the total still with 9 wickets in hand"
10.03pm The match has been called off. The India players are seen shaking hands in the dressing room, and a washout has been confirmed. Time for the old debate of cut-off targets or DLS rules to be reconsidered. This makes it consecutive washouts in the series, with New Zealand winning it 1-0. It's a shame that we were two overs - barely eight to ten minutes - away from a result.
10pm It continues raining, with another 50 minutes left for even two overs to play and thus have a result. A fair bit of crowd is still around, hoping some cricket can happen.
Radha Krishna: "I live just beside the Stadium and the rain has come to a halt 2 minutes back. Let's see what happens for the game. Fingers crossed" --- Hmmm, it's happening, it's happening...
9.50pm Here I come again... Will there be any more rain?
Back to Himanshu for some more rain watch...
9:20pm It still continues to pour down and the covers are firmly in place. Shouldn't be long before we start losing overs. And as Himanshu mentioned early on, NZ are 50 ahead of the DLS par score. But that comes into picture only AFTER 20 overs are bowled. And so the wait continues...
Dan C: "About 4km away here from the ground and all we have had all day is very light drizzle....good conditions for nighttime running rugby" Is this fair? C'mon, try and stop this downpour if you can, Dan!
Mustafa Moudi: "Let me try to divert our CON(way)-(William)SON-centration a bit, are you sure tomorrow the final month of the year is going to begin ?? Cant believe 2022 will end so soon !!" Haha well tried. But it was not subtle at all :p And yes, 2022 seems to have flown by!.
Vasu: "Time,tide and rain wait for no man- Suds or Himanshu! NZ have won the series anyway and they don't need one more feather (!) in their cap."
Daniel: "I am at the ground and I think everything is contextual but no one from Christchurch would call this a downpour. It's a steady frustrating appears to be easing."
Enough of me in the rain break. Here comes Suds to try and change everything.
9.10pm The umpires have a discussion amidst the umbrellas in the middle, as rain continues to fall steadily. Anyway, we still have a lot of time in hand even for a shortened game, especially since we are just two overs away from a result. Until then, we can enjoy this familiar pair - both in consistency and style - motor along in a Test.
Daniel: "While we're on the subject of rules, what is the worst rule that has ever been part of cricket and why is it the 2019 boundary-countback rule?" --- Among some worst rules, this from an ODI in 2018 springs to mind
Toby: "As a Kiwi fan I'm still not sure that a 'mercy win' here could counter the pain of that boundary-count rule" --- I'm pretty sure nothing ever can do that
8.46pm It is raining sharply in Christchurch at the moment, and even if it stops immediately, it should take some time to clear up the damage.
Jacob: "Could we invoke some kind of a mercy rule, and declare New Zealand the winner?" --- A counter for the boundary-count rule?
Andrew: "Would be filthy if this changed the series result, but as it doesn't, think there's been a clear winner for the series if it ends as it stands" --- As of now, we are extremely far away from rain - or even a shortened game - turning this match around
8.35pm Never mind the rain break here, you can always follow live cricket in another part of the world. Marnus Labuschagne is close to a hundred for Australia against West Indies, who got Usman Khawaja out to break a century stand.
The big covers quickly make their way out on the ground after the pitch was protected first. This seems like steady rain.
Jason: "Got to ask, why did they bother taking a drinks break with rain looming? Ridiculous" --- Fair question, but just one more over might have been completed even if not for the break
Huzaifa Ali: "@Himanshu.. The entire Blackcaps army is coming for you if rain doesn't stop. Run while you can!!!" --- I'm here to stay; no place to hide
8.21pm We are just two overs away from a result, even if rain washes this out. And just as I say this, rain stops play. Please don't blame me for the interruption! New Zealand are currently 50 ahead on DLS, but it doesn't matter since we need at least 20 overs of play to have been completed.
Mitchell being used as the fifth bowler worked wonders, as his triple-strike pushed India back. Milne got three as well, but Southee's two and Henry's economical ten overs were very effective too. Join Suds for the chase, as New Zealand need 220 for another ODI series win at home.
Sam: "How many runs are India short of a par score?" --- With the movement that was around, I guess even 250 would have been challenging.
6.22pm An innings that never really got going. It was a fair start by Dhawan and Gill, but the latter never had any momentum early on, something pretty much spilled on to the rest of the line-up. Washington's 51 proved key to India crossing the psychological mark of 200, with Iyer's 49 also key in the middle. Williamson dropped a spinner for today, and even used just two overs from Santner, perhaps sensing the movement that the pace bowlers got with the wind and cloudy conditions around.
Washington Sundar c †Latham b Southee 51 (104m 64b 5x4 1x6) SR: 79.68
END OF OVER:47 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | IND: 213/9 | RR: 4.53
- Umran Malik0 (4b)
- Washington Sundar45 (61b)
- Daryl Mitchell7-0-25-3
- Tim Southee8-1-30-1
Malik is the last man in
Raj: "Why Sundar, why?"
Arshdeep Singh lbw b Mitchell 9 (10m 9b 0x4 1x6) SR: 100.00
Mitchell back
END OF OVER:46 | 6 Runs | IND: 212/8 | RR: 4.60
- Arshdeep Singh9 (8b)
- Washington Sundar44 (60b)
- Tim Southee8-1-30-1
- Mitchell Santner2-0-15-1
Elsewhere at the FIFA World Cup, Marcus Rashford now has as many World Cup goals as Johan Cruyff and has emulated Bobby Charlton from 1966. All the best stats from an action-packed Day 10 are here.
David: "Why Chahal, why?"
Ferguson is done, so here comes Southee from around the wicket
END OF OVER:45 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 206/8 | RR: 4.57
- Washington Sundar44 (60b)
- Arshdeep Singh3 (2b)
- Mitchell Santner2-0-15-1
- Lockie Ferguson10-0-49-1
Arshdeep at No. 10. Slip in place.
YS Chahal c Southee b Santner 8 (36m 22b 0x4 0x6) SR: 36.36