It’s the fourth washout of the tournament
There we go again. It has been another frustrating day in the office. For the third time, the match was called off without a ball being bowled. New Zealand had comprehensively beaten India in the warm-up match and the Men in Blue had momentum coming into this game. A share of the spoils it is then. Tomorrow, hosts England face West Indies. Hope we have an exciting, full-day’s play there. Adios
PLAY HAS BEEN CALLED OFF
7:30 pm: “It’s unfortunate but that’s way it is,” says umpire Paul Reiffel. “We move to Manchester next. Don’t know what the weather forecast is but it is an important game for both teams.”
7:10 pm: There will be another inspection at 7.30 pm IST. The covers are still on. Is there any chance of play?
6:38 pm: It’s still pouring in Nottingham. The clock’s ticking and it’s not looking good.
6:13 pm: It is starting to thunder down heavily at the moment at Nottingham. Barring a miracle, this will end up being the fourth washout of the World Cup.
6:02 pm: And...a group of Indian supporters scramble for their umbrellas. Some are seen even leaving the ground. It’s raining again.
6:00 pm: Vijay Shankar is seen taking a stroll on the field. Virat Kohli and Co are seen wearing an exasperated look from the pavilion. The wait continues. There was an inspection scheduled about now. The umpires haven’t come out yet.
5:17 pm: It’s started to rain again, quite heavily at that. This could be a lost cause from the way things are going.
5:10 pm: The next inspection is at 6:00 pm. Let’s hope there is better news.
5:03 pm: The umpires come out for inspection. There is no rain at the moment but the outfield is in tatters. There are plenty of wet spots and the umpires’ umbrellas are sinking in the puddles.
4:49 pm: Hang on, the covers are coming off now as the rain has relented briefly. The upcoming inspection is back on. This is one helluva hide-and-seek game.
4:46 pm: The drizzle has picked up in Nottingham and the inspection scheduled at 5:00 pm may just be postponed.
4:40 pm: While we wait for the rain to subside, relive Chetan Sharma’s hat-trick in the 1987 edition. It was the first World Cup hat-trick as well.
4:20 pm: The drizzle has returned and the covers are on again. The wait continues.
4:13 pm: The wait continues! Umpires Marais Erasmus and Paul Reiffel are not pleased with the conditions at the moment and will have another inspection at 5 pm IST. The outfield is quite wet and it seems we’re a long way away from some cricket.
3:57 pm: We have good news from Nottingham! The covers are coming off and we’re minutes away from the inspection by the umpires.
3:30 pm: Well, well. The rain is back on again. The wait might just go on for a little longer.
3:20 IST pm: Most of the covers have been taken off. Groundsmen are still at work. The super soppers at work.
3:13 pm: The inspection is delayed for the second time. The umpires will now come out at 4:00 pm IST (11.30 am local time). It was last scheduled for 3:30 IST.
3:07 pm: Rain has stopped once again. A few covers outside are being taken off but remember, l there is an inspection in 20 minutes. In mid-pitch, the water is being drained off the covers by the groundstaff.
3:05 pm: India and New Zealand faced off in England in 1999 as well. On that occasion, it was the Kiwis who ran out as winners and booked their place in the semi-finals.
3:00 pm: The drizzle is still steady at Trent Bridge. The next inspection will be at 3:30 pm IST. Let’s hope we have better forecast in the next half-an-hour.
2:56 pm: There is rain back home as well.
2:50 pm: There it is.....more rain and the wait continues. More work for the ground staff at Trent Bridge. The covers are back on.
2:35 pm: “There are some muddy and the outfield is damp because there has been so much rain,” says umpire Paul Reiffel. “All we can do wait is wait and watch. There will be an inspection at 10:30 pm.”
As Umpire Marais Erasmus was talking, he said he could feel a few drops of rain on his head. “There will be a lot of traffic outside the 30-yard circle,” says the South African. With no sun around, it’s a question of whether the outfield will dry.
Erasmus added, “I reckon there’s more rain around. We’ve got those 75 minutes (that can be added) and maybe a shortened game. There’s a lot of time and we shall have to wait. Seems like a slow-drying day.”
2:31 pm: India batting coach Sanjay Bangar insists that Shikhar Dhawan is not ruled out of the tournament and that he will be back in 10-12 days.
2:29 pm: Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were a revelation earlier in the year in New Zealand. Veteran Ross Taylor is confident that they can combat the spin threat.
2:27 pm: There will be a delayed start to proceedings. There will be an inspection from the umpires at 3:00 pm IST. The covers are coming off now.
2:20 pm: There is no sign of rain at Trent Bridge. Despite a slight delay, the toss should take place shortly.
2:16 pm: Win or lose, New Zealand won’t be defined by their performance against India, says Daniel Vettori
2:14 pm: Ravi Shastri and and Co have have been given a 45-day extension in their contracts. The former India all-rounder was appointed two years ago.
2.12 pm: Update from the middle is that it is not raining at the moment but start is likely to be delayed by a wet outfield.
2.10 pm: Hello all and welcome to the live blog of the highly-anticipated clash between India and New Zealand, the only two undefeated sides remaining at the 2019 ICC World Cup.
India are missing Shikhar Dhawan, who led his side to their second win of the 50-over tournament with his 117 against holders Australia on Sunday, but the opener took a hit near the thumb during the innings and didn’t come out to field at the Oval.
Dhawan’s injury is a blow to Virat Kohli’s side, who are playing the table-toppers today before taking on arch rivals Pakistan in Manchester on Sunday.
Dhawan suffered the injury as a result of a nasty blow from a rising delivery by Australia paceman Pat Cummins in the early phase of his innings but went on to complete his 17th one-day international century.
Dhawan, however, played no further part in the match after his dismissal, with substitute Ravindra Jadeja taking the field in his place as India comfortably defended their total of 352 for five to complete a 36-run victory. He has played 10 World Cup matches since his debut in 2010, scoring 537 runs at an average of 53.70.
Kohli called Dhawan a “world-class” player with a “big-match temperament” after his heroics against Australia.
But KL Rahul, who seemed to have provided an answer to India’s No 4 worries, will now be opening the innings and Kohli and Co are left looking for another option in the middle order.