Hamilton: Rain had the final say in the third ODI between New Zealand and India here at Seddon Park as the contest was called off on Tuesday without a ball being bowled. The five-game series currently stands at 2-0 in favour of India, with the remaining two games to be played on Friday and Sunday.
The contest was already under a weather cloud following heavy rainfall in the city over the last 12 hours. Although the rain had briefly stopped and ground staff were working to get the playing area ready, another spell of showers forced the covers back onto the square, further delaying the scheduled toss.
However, after a two-hour delay due to rain and a wet outfield, the toss finally took place in the middle as India elected to bowl for the third straight time. Just a couple of minutes after the toss, the covers were pulled back on, and the wait game continued.
With 12:32 PM IST being the cut-off time for a 20-over game, the rain did not stop. Even when it did, briefly, it would have required almost 30-45 minutes for the groundsmen to get the pitch match-ready, resulting in further delays. IANS
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