India vs New Zealand
Inclement weather and wet outfield has delayed the start of the ICC World Cup game between India and New Zealand on Thursday at Trent Bridge in Nottingham and most likely, the match will be abandoned given the torrent flow.
With both teams unbeaten in the quadrennial tournament, the washout will have a major impact on India than New Zealand as the Kiwis already have three wins under their belt and a point from this match will ensure the Kane Williamson led side a semi-final qualification.
For India on the other hand, they will gain a point which will see them secure a total of 5 points, while New Zealand will top the table with 7.
The clash between the two sides would have seen India introduce Vijay Shankar who will play at No.4 spot while KL Rahul will open with Rohit Sharma as Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out due to injury. The timing of recovery is uncertain at the moment.
Going into the match, India are a stronger side on paper as the Men in Blue have beaten the Kiwis six times in their last seven encounters. Also, New Zealand have managed to win one of their last five ODI matches at Trent Bridge. The Kiwis win percentage in Nottingham is just 28.59%.
A record three matches have been called off in the rain-hit tournament, with a fourth being added soon. Many questions have popped up on the absence of reserve days for similar situations.
India will next face arch-rivals Pakistan on June 16 (Sunday) at Old Trafford, Manchester; while New Zealand will face South Africa on June 19 in Birmingham.
