India vs New Zealand: Rain keeps India indoors in Wellington; The choice of Siraj adds to the intrigue

Weather may spoil the second match between New Zealand and India to be played at Hnry Stadium in Wellington. (Photo courtesy of Sahil Malhotra) Wellington: Persistent drizzle in Wellington on Friday forced New Zealand to move their practice to an indoor facility opposite Basin Reserve, while India canceled their practice and stayed back at their hotel on the eve of the second ODI of the five-match series on Saturday.The turnaround time between the Auckland and Wellington games allowed both teams only one training session after their travel day on 5 November. While the players who have been part of India’s T20I set-up have already had a taste of the windy Welly, most will go straight into action hoping to acclimatise quickly. New Zealand presents tough challenges and the different sizes of the country and weather conditions across the country present different obstacles to overcome.From the short straight at Eden Park to the shorter square at Hnry Stadium, even bowlers from both teams will have to make that quick adjustment as what worked in Auckland may or may not reap rewards in Wellington. For Kiwi quick Blair Tickner, it’s all about getting the job done at any time and finding the right balance between fixtures.“We’re still doing a bit of bowling. You can’t do it every time, there’s guys coming in and out of the session and we’re just balancing it out, and a lot of guys are going to Test cricket as well, so there’s a lot of balancing going on. We’ve got a great squad and everyone’s kind of planning each bowler where he needs to be, so it’s working well with the schedule now,” Tcramicked said.“I’m still coming back from a couple of winter injuries so I’m trying to bowl a bit more. I love bowling, the right rhythm, so I’m definitely still bowling in training and I’ll get to that,” added the fast bowler, who flexed his muscles as he smashed four massive sixes in Auckland.

Blair Tickner of New Zealand bowls during a one-day cricket international against India in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

Tickner enjoyed performing in front of the crowd but now wants to do better with the ball at a venue where Abhishek Sharma blew the hosts away with a 38-ball 113. With the lesson learned, New Zealand will continue to fight hard against India and attack will be the mantra for the hosts.“If the perfect plan comes out, we’re going to attack and get early wickets. That’s the dream and every single day a team’s bowling attack wants to bowl teams out, so we try to bowl teams out first before we think about defensive play. We’ll work it out there,” Tickner said.

Siraj has joined the team and is available for selection but the management will hear whether he will play or not.

Coach Subhadeep Ghosh Fielding

Mohammed Siraj or Auqib Nabi?

India will have to decide whether to bench Nabi to make way for Siraj, who joined the team after completing his India A duties. The experienced fast bowler has linked up with the team in Wellington and remains available for selection. The training session could give an indication of the mindset of the team management, but coach Subhadeep Ghosh kept the selection cards close to his chest.

New Chandigarh, Oct 03 (ANI): India’s Mohammed Siraj and his teammates celebrate the wicket of West Indies’ John Campbell during the 3rd ODI between India and West Indies at the PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Saturday. (ANI Photo/Rahul Singh)

“Siraj has joined the team and is available for selection, but the management will take a call whether he will play or not,” Ghosh said.With the weather conditions, it seems increasingly difficult for India to change their bowling combination and the only toss could be between Siraj and Nabi.Heavy rain is also forecast on the day of the match and fans could be in for another frustrating day of cricket when both teams take to the field.

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