Match abandoned due to wet outfield (no toss)
11:33 Local Time, 15:33 GMT, 21:03 IST: Oh no! The match has been abandoned. The umpires had the inspection, spoke to the chief groundsman then conveyed the message to the match referee before informing the two teams. There was no rain but the damage had been done. The weather was still overcast and there was no sun for the ground to dry. The groundsmen tried their best but it was a futile effort. It is disappointing for the fans present at the ground but that's how nature goes. We might not have action in this game but a big one is coming up in just over an hour. England take on Namibia in a must-win encounter. That should be an exciting contest. Time to draw the curtains on this and see you all another time. Goodbye!
How will India fare in the Super 8? Did Pakistan's early exit surprise you? Have a question for Dinesh Karthik? Share it using #HeyCB, and feature in our latest episode
11:10 Local Time, 15:10 GMT, 20:40 IST: "14.16 local time is the cut off time for a five-over game. That is 11.45 IST. Pitches remain covered, the problem is with the outfield." pings Vijay Tagore, who's at the ground.
10:45 Local Time, 14:45 GMT, 20:15 IST: There will be another inspection at 11:30 local and 21:00 IST. That's a lot of time and we also have a buffer of 90 minutes from the start time before the overs start getting deducted. Hope the next inspection brings some good news.
10:31 Local Time, 14:31 GMT, 20:01 IST: The umpires - Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula - are walking out for the inspection. The pitch and square is still under covers. They are having a chat with Chris Gaffaney and then with the groundstaff. The 3-4 massive hair dryers are still working on drying the wet patches.
10:05 Local Time, 14:05 GMT, 19:35 IST: The live pictures show Kohli going around the ground; speaking to some Canadian players, the umpires and inspecting the conditions along the way. India's think tank - Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, Vikram Rathour and Paras Mhambrey - are involved in a long chat. No warm-ups going on at the moment as the groundstaff are still working with big hair dryers to dry the damp patches.
09:45 Local Time, 13:45 GMT, 19:15 IST: The update from the venue is that the outfield is still damp, and there's going to be an inspection at 10.30am local. So the toss has been delayed.
09:30 Local Time, 13:00 GMT, 19:00 IST: India are done with their New York leg and are now in Florida for the final group game, also their last game in the United States of America before they travel to the Caribbean for the Super 8s. The batters were tested on tricky pitches at Nassau County and they did well to come out of it with three wins out of three. Weather permitting the batters would like a to have a proper hit and prepare themselves for the upcoming games. Yes, it has been raining in Florida and we had a washout yesterday. Hopefully the weather stays clear and gives Canada one last chance to experience the game on the big stage. They have played good cricket, beating Ireland and coming close to winning against USA and Pakistan. But this will be their toughest game and they have to be at their absolute best. The weather is fine for now and hope it remains that way. Toss and teams coming up.. Stay tuned
Preview by Vijay Tagore
The rains and flash floods in Florida have been so intense over the last couple of days that the Florida Panthers had to postpone their departure for Edmonton, Alberta, for the third and fourth games of the Stanley Cup final. They eventually landed in the West Canadian city and won Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers, but they could not avoid the effects of the deluge back home in Florida. The Indian team was luckier; their charter flight from New York to Miami did not get cancelled on Wednesday, and they are ready for the final league game against Canada in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
The forecast for the match day is not promising; scattered thunderstorms are predicted, which means the match might be either totally disrupted or partially cut short. Having already secured their place in the Super 8 stage, the Indian team remains unperturbed by the floods that have swamped parts of the city. They have cancelled their scheduled net session for Friday.
Should the match take place against the Saad Bin Zafar side, it will be an opportunity for the team to reinforce their strategies, choices, and beliefs demonstrated so far in the championship. The XI selected for the three games in the competition has been chosen with the goal of taking on spin through the middle phases of the game better than any other side. If they get match time on Saturday, it will be an ideal moment to press on with the approach, especially since there will be an assortment of spinners bowling during the middle phase in the Super 8 matches.
With four left-handed batters in the middle - Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, followed by Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel - interspersing with right-handed batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya across the batting order, it will be crucial to maintain the left-right combination to effectively fight spin. They should continue this strategy consistently to prepare for tougher matches ahead, particularly against Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
And as for Kohli, there may not be much he has to do that he has not done in his career or the recent IPL. His scores of 1 (vs Ireland), 4 (vs Pakistan) and 0 (vs the USA) have certainly not lived up to his reputation and expectations but big scores from his bat are around the corner.
From the Canadian perspective, they are out of the Super 8 race. A victory against India might seem a bit far-fetched but Canada will be hoping that they can emulate their neighbours USA in running India close. A victory against Ireland earlier in the competition and the fight shown against Pakistan will serve as inspiration for them.
When: Saturday, June 15 at 8:00 PM IST (10:30 AM Local Time)
Where: Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida
What to expect: Showers are forecast for Saturday. Sides batting first have had a better success rate in the T20Is held in Florida. But bowling first might be a prudent option considering the weather, if at all it allows the game to go on.
Teams watch
India: The team doesn't need to make any changes; they have chosen their XI strategically. Now, it's about executing the plan with the courage of conviction. This approach will best prepare them for the challenges they will face on the slow pitches of the Caribbean. As they do in business planning, risk management, it is a little like anticipating and scenario planning - what and how you want to play through the middle of an innings against quality spin. With no compulsions and constraints of having to handle the unpredictable pitches, witnessed in New York, it is the time to execute the vision. The question of whether Kuldeep Yadav should replace one of the pacers is a minor issue compared to preparing for the batting challenges in the next stage.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
Canada: Their batting will revolve around Shreyas Movva, Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Kirton and Navneet Dhaliwal, with the last three having scored half-centuries in this World Cup. Johnson's entertaining knock against Pakistan on a difficult wicket might be a sign of how Canada will approach their batting, which could prove useful in better batting conditions in Florida.
Probable XI: Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar (c), Dillon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon
Did you know?
- India have played eight T20Is in Florida, with five wins and two losses, along with a no result. Rohit Sharma is the leading run-getter for them at this venue, having scored 196 runs at an average of 49 and a strike rate of 153.12, with two half-centuries
- Virat Kohli has scored only 63 runs in the three innings he has played in Florida, with a highest of 28
- India have won three of the last four T20Is played in Florida, with the last result being a loss against West Indies
What they said:
"As I say it's a ball. The ball is very round the moment you walk on the field, anyone can win. Yes, you have to have respect for these guys. They have been doing it for years. And going up, hopefully we get to play against Kohli, Rohit, all of these guys, the list goes on and on. And you have to respect them, but at the end of the day, you have to know that you're a professional cricketer also. And if they did it, you can do it also. So, it's about respecting them, but also respecting yourself" - Aaron Johnson on facing India.
Squads:
Canada Squad: Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva(w), Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar(c), Kaleem Sana, Dillon Heyliger, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon, Rayyan Pathan, Nikhil Dutta, Rishiv Ragav Joshi, Dilpreet Bajwa
India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal