New Zealand and India meet again in Wellington in the second ODI
New Zealand and India play the second one-day international of their five-match series at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on Saturday 7 November. According to NZC's international schedule, play is due to start at 3pm local time. Each side bats for 50 overs in a one-day international, so the game is a long afternoon's work for both teams.
India took the opening match in Auckland on 4 November. They won by five wickets, with the target reset by the DLS method, which adjusts a chase when weather cuts overs from the game. Reuters reported that Virat Kohli scored his 80th half-century in one-day internationals in that win. India now lead the series 1-0.
New Zealand face a thinner batting order. Reuters reported on 6 November that opener Devon Conway has been ruled out of the rest of the series. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has also said that Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra will miss the five-match ODI series through injury. India, for their part, are without fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, who was ruled out of the ODI series before it began, according to the ICC.
Weather is another possible factor. ESPNcricinfo has flagged a rain threat hanging over the Wellington match. Rain can shorten a game and change the target, just as it did in Auckland. The named teams will only be fully known at the toss, so any late changes to either line-up will show up then.
The series keeps moving after Wellington. The third ODI is scheduled for Hamilton on 10 November, and the fourth for Mount Maunganui on 13 November, according to the ICC. The series is part of a wider home summer for New Zealand, which also includes five T20 internationals and two Tests. New Zealand Cricket lists the first Test to be played in Wellington at Cello Basin Reserve from Thursday 19 November.
For a casual fan, the arithmetic is simple. India lead 1-0 with four matches left. A New Zealand win in Wellington would level the series, and each result after that would count for more. The first ball is due at 3pm in the capital, with the rest of the summer's cricket to follow.
