The third ODI between India and New Zealand was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Tuesday, 10 November, after persistent rain and a wet outfield at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The result seals the series 2-0 for India, who cannot now lose it.
India captain Shubman Gill won the toss for the third consecutive time in the series and elected to bowl, according to reports by the Deccan Herald and The Times of India. The toss itself was delayed by more than two hours from its scheduled time of 7:00 AM IST.
The match was reduced to 40 overs a side as officials waited for the weather to clear. The umpires finally called the game off at around 6:45 pm local time, which was between 11:15 and 11:41 AM IST, with about 70 minutes left before the 7:50 pm local cut-off for a 20-over game.
The forecast had given rain a 90 percent chance, and the weather never relented long enough for the outfield to become playable. New Zealand's hopes of a comeback in the series were washed away with the match.
What the result means for the series
India lead the five-match series 2-0 and cannot lose it. New Zealand can at best draw the series 2-2 by winning the two remaining matches, according to the reports.
The washout ended New Zealand's streak of 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home. That is the second-longest such streak in ODI history, behind South Africa's record of 17, according to the reports.
India won the first two ODIs through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. They won the first by five wickets and the second by four runs, when India were 113 for 7 and four runs ahead of the DLS par score.
This was Gill's final ODI as captain in this series. Shreyas Iyer will captain India in the final two matches, while Gill and KL Rahul join the Test squad, according to the reports.
What comes next
The final two ODIs will be played at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on 13 and 15 November. Both teams will hope for better weather after two rain-affected games in the series so far.
For New Zealand, the remaining matches are about salvaging a draw from a series they once looked set to win at home. For India, they are a chance to complete a series win under a new captain.
This is the result story for the third ODI. It is distinct from the pre-match preview articles published earlier, which looked ahead to the game before it was played.
Rain has been a recurring feature of this series, and the abandoned game is a reminder of how much a New Zealand summer schedule depends on the weather. The teams now move to Mount Maunganui with the series already decided.
