Match abandoned without a ball bowled (no toss)
Sadly, we'll have no cricket today. Mount Maunganui awaits on Sunday, and fans of both sides will really hope for the weather to be clear out there. Hopefully we get a game on Sunday, even if not our team will be ready nice and early to share all the updates. Bye for now...
Kane Williamson: Quite quick after a major event, we’ve had a whole heap of T20 cricket in the past. We’re quite excited to play India irrespective though. Most teams gear up towards major events that are not too far away, and the ODI format will now be a great opportunity for guys to come in. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for guys to shine. We’ll have to wait and see what surfaces present us, and we need to adjust. But it is about getting better, especially in the knockout matches. The likes of Adam Milne were in the T20 World Cup squad but didn’t get an opportunity, so this is a good time to get them some game time. (On Indian squad) I’ve got no doubt they all will be big players for India, I’ve seen them all in the IPL. They’ve got great quality irrespective of the names they put out. (On World Cup semi-final defeat) We’ll start fresh, this is a new series both sides are looking forward to. We both wanted to get to the final, but we’ve got a week to rest and get ourselves ready for this. (On Mount Maunganui) It is usually sunny out there, with a bit of rain. Hopefully we get a full house.
Hardik Pandya: Boys were quite excited to play. NZ is a great country, great place to play. Unfortunate to not get a game. A lot of people came quite early as well, we were excited but this is something we as professional cricketers need to accept. I know the other boys will follow exactly what the management and captain would say, they are all professionals. These guys are young by age, but not by experience. They have played plenty of IPL and got good amount of Internationals as well. I think the youngsters of today don’t get intimidated by not having played too much cricket. If the situation demands, me and the more experienced players will play different roles, but this tour is for the new guys to get more clarity, opportunities and a chance to express themselves. The World Cup is done, I’ve left it behind. The disappointment will be there, but we can’t go back and change things. We’re now looking forward to this series.
Harsha Bhogle: Such a disappointment. The weather fought the forecast till about 1800 local time and surrendered after that.
Tim Southee: Another opportunity against a quality side, should be good. Guys need to get over the semi-final game, we are used to quick turnarounds and changes in format. It’s a great Indian team, they’ve got so much talent that whatever side they put out will be strong, we’ve seen them all perform in the IPL. (On Trent Boult’s absence) He’s been a massive part of this side, it is strange looking around and not having him but it allows another guy to come in and perform. It is strange to have one of our best players not be here. If the rain stops, we can expect a full stadium with plenty of Indian fans. Always exciting to play in front of full stadiums.
20:09 Local Time, 07:09 GMT, 12:39 IST: It continues to pour in Wellington. Chances looking grim now, still a while to go for the cutoff though which is 21:46 PM Local Time.
Shanmukh: "@cricbuzz Just saw the weather forecast and it has 90%+ chances of rain all throughout the next 4-5 hours. What's the cut-off time?" -- 21:46 Local Time (14:16 IST).
Ish Sodhi: It is always going to be tough to get up within a short span because of the scheduling these days. It's only been a week since we came from Australia, but playing against a team like India is always exciting and definitely one that motivates. I don't want to say it is easy (to be a spinner in NZ), because it is a difficult place to bowl. Unique place to bowl with the boundaries in different venues. I think it is down to communication, good to see we have formulated a partnership (about his bowling partnership with Mitchell Santner). If Mitch is going for a few less runs at one end and then I can attack from my end and vice versa. This is a very unique place to bowl (Sky Stadium, Wellington). Not much turn, short square boundaries compared to the straighter ones. Varying the line has been an important part of our planning as a spin bowling unit on this ground. Bowling the wide line when you need and try and get them to hit to the straighter boundary has been in our discussion for a long time and potentially got us a few wickets.
19:24 Local Time, 06:24 GMT, 11:54 IST: The rain has really picked up now. Not looking good. Just a reminder, only the pitch area has been covered. They have all the best technology available here, but it could still take a while to get the outfield dry.
Vikas R: "I agree with Sasank and will add a few more points (Need to change the strategy for T20I as it has to differ from ODI): Best use of powerplays, Fearless approach, More variation in bowling, Focus on wicket-taking spinners."
19:15 Local Time, 06:15 GMT, 11:45 IST: Oops, the drizzle is back, and so are the umberallas. Very mild for now, but that'll certainly delay things.
Adam Milne: Feeling good. I haven't played for a month or so now since the tri-series. Trying to keep the body going through the World Cup and bowling some overs in the nets, hopefully I get a few games here against India. All the guys are doing specific stuff to make sure their bodies stay healthy throughout the season. Sometimes the fast bowlers are doing slightly different stuff in the gym.
Good news, the rain has stopped for now and the umberallas are going off!! It feels like it has got slightly brighter as well. Toss however has been delayed as the pitch covers are yet to be removed. Stick around, hopefully not too long before the two captains get to the middle and we begin..
Shubman Gill: I came here for the U19 World Cup. Made my ODI debut here in 2019. Good to comeback (to New Zealand), feels good. Definitely, I have fond memories coming back to NZ. Whenever I know I'll be going to NZ it brings a smile. I have been able to execute a few things I have been practicing (about his success in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy). I have always felt hitting sixes is not about power, it's about timing. If I am getting that right, I know I can hit sixes. It's always about me looking to score than look for four or six. I want to play less dot balls, I want to keep ticking, ones, twos etc. It's more about you being able to wait and swing in the line of the ball rather than swinging hard at the ball.
Washington Sundar: I broke my ankle playing football before a game once, so I told myself I’d never play football again. There are plenty of other things I can do instead for a warm-up, go for a jog, stretch etc. I have spent a lot of time at the NCA, my stint at Lancashire was amazing before I got injured, so I’ve worked a lot on my body, particularly my shoulder. New Zealand is one of my favorite countries, the weather and the people are really pleasant. Since we got here, we spent a lot of time going to restaurants and walking to shops. We enjoy doing those things, enjoy our privacy out here.
Sasank: "For more fearless cricket, the Indian team management should focus on grooming a young Indian team for the next T20 World Cup, while the senior players can be part of the ODI and Test formats."
Hosts New Zealand too are in an era of transition, as their selectors opted against picking two of their stalwarts in Martin Guptill and Trent Boult, the latter because he no longer has a central contract. Apart from that, the team that played their semi-final would largely be expected to continue today, with the tall pacer Blair Tickner stepping in for Boult. Maybe this series is a chance to play Michael Bracewell as well, with either Santner or Neesham getting a rest. Unfortunately, it is raining at the moment but hopefully the rain gods will be kind on us for the next few hours. We'll bring you the latest updates nevertheless, stick around...
6:30 PM Local Time: A little over a week since their T20 World Cup exits, these two losing semi-finalists clash at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. Such are the rigours of the modern day game. For India, the whole talk has been about moving forward in this series. Most of their regulars who were part of the T20 World Cup have flown back, and this is very much Hardik Pandya’s team, with an eye for the future. Maybe this is the way forward, picking young, exciting and self-confident youngsters who will be expected to play fearless cricket throughout this series. Plenty of questions loom on who will open for India, with only one conventional opener available in Shubman Gill, but the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and Deepak Hooda have all played that role in the past. With the ball, many would be excited to see the tearaway quick Umran Malik in the squad, but will he be preferred over the experience of Harshal Patel or Bhuvneshwar Kumar? We shall soon find out...
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Preview:
You could gauge the relevance of India and New Zealand playing out T20Is just five days after the World Cup final in the sort of questions that Hardik Pandya was asked in an outdoorsy presser on Wednesday (November 16). The most pressing issue he had to field questions on was his opposite number - Kane Williamson - being released by Sunrisers Hyderabad and whether his team Gujarat Titans would take a swing at roping him in. Hardik did well to steer the conversation back to the cricket at hand - the T20Is, talking up opportunities for his squad that is without some of the seniors who featured until last week.
For his part, Williamson has been relaxed about the SRH axing, just nine months after being the franchise's first retention before a mega auction. The bigger worry on his mind, admittedly, has been the changing landscape of cricket that has seen the likes of Trent Boult and James Neesham decline central contracts in favour of being able to ply their trade in T20 leagues around the world.
The glaring absence of context to the series notwithstanding, the two teams can view it as an opportunity to quickly get over the heartbreak of the last week when they made a semifinal exit from the World Cup despite going into the tournament as two among many favourites for the title.
When: New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I, 07.30 PM Local Time, 12:00 PM IST
Where: Sky Stadium, Wellington
What to expect: The intervention of rain. Showers are expected in Wellington in the evening leading to the possibility of a delayed start at the very least.
Team news:
New Zealand: Finn Allen gets another opportunity to impress at the top of the order with Martin Guptill axed from the squad. New Zealand's top-order should wear a familiar look as the World Cup regulars are all involved. It's the bowling half that will see changes in the absence of Trent Boult.
Probable XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner
India: Rishabh Pant should play all through with Dinesh Karthik not picked for this series. Yuzvendra Chahal, who went without a game in the T20 World Cup, should get in too in the absence of R Ashwin.
Probable XI: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda/Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
Did you know:
- Mitchell Santner has dismissed Sanju Samson twice in the seven balls he has bowled to him in this format
- Suryakumar Yadav's tally of 1040 runs is only the second instance of a batter scoring 1000-plus runs in a calendar year
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar has picked 36 T20I wickets this year - only two bowlers have a better tally
What they said:
"In T20 cricket, it's important to be aggressive. We have the guys who have this ability to express themselves. So that's the message from the captain and myself: be aggressive, but also focus on conditions and situations, and use that experience." - India's stand-in head coachVVS Laxman on the team's playing style.
"From our perspective it is that ability to keep looking forward and seeing, crystal ball gazing a little bit into what we think it might look like in a year's time [at the World Cup]. On this occasion we've gone with Finn and are giving him that opportunity to bat at the top of the order." - New Zealand head coach Gary Stead on Guptill's axing.
Squads:
India Squad: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Deepak Hooda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshal Patel
New Zealand Squad: Finn Allen, Devon Conway(w), Kane Williamson(c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi