India v New Zealand: How the weather spoiled a day out for families in Hamilton

The third ODI between India and New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton has been washed out. (Image: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com) HAMILTON: Around 2:30 pm local time, 30 minutes before the official start time of the third ODI, the Indian team bus arrived at Seddon Park in Hamilton. When the doors opened, the assembled Indian fans were in for a surprise. Heading to the bus with their phones, expecting the entire team to emerge, the first and only player to come out to discuss the local and Indian operations teams was former Indian captain Rohit Sharma. After a long conversation, Rohit sprinted to the stadium and did not return for almost 15 minutes.With the doors closed, the players sat inside and waited for approval from team management. Rohit eventually returned to the bus amid loud chanting, but none of the players got off as further discussion ensued. It was later discovered that if players entered the players and umpires area (PMOA) they would not be allowed to leave and re-enter as instructed. So the decision was made to return to the team hotel as the drizzle continued and the ground was nowhere near ready.They waited for more than half an hour before the team bus could leave for the Indian team hotel, with captain Shubman Gill, coach Gautam Gambhir and other members of the support staff joining New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner. The rest of the BlackCaps players who arrived in their own cars were also waiting outside the venue. When they didn’t get the necessary approval, they also started driving back to the team hotel.When the weather finally cleared and the pitch was ready in a flash, the Indian team bus returned. Meanwhile, Rohit beat the pack when he traveled with the New Zealand players in their car.It was a frustrating day of waiting, rain and cold wind in Hamilton, and even more so for the many family members gathered in the hospitality box.

The Indian team bus was repeatedly harassed by fans during the third ODI between India and New Zealand in Hamilton. (Image: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)

From Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika to Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh’s parents, everyone took their seats when the draw was announced and the adjusted time. Gill won the next toss and just as the Indian players started warming up to prepare for the event, another drizzle sent them off the field and never to return.Rohit occasionally emerged from the dressing room to wave to his daughter in the stands and point at Gill Sr, but that didn’t last long as the rain intensified, forcing the players inside and the umpire giving the formal notice to end the contest. When it was announced over the PA, fans quickly ran out to stand near the team bus for the third time that day, and another surprise was in store.Amid loud chants of “Radhe! Radhe!”, Virat Kohli left in a private car with Gill, Ishan Kishan and Naman Dhir. Even Rohit left the team bus and left in the car while the rest including Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, coach Gambhir boarded the team bus to end the long day of waiting and rain.For fans, it was an afternoon spent soaking in the rain to catch a glimpse of their favorite cricketers and the maximum they got was a 10-second glimpse of the players getting in and out of their vehicles.