Match Details

NZ vs SL 2nd ODI, NZ vs SL 2023

Match Abandoned

Commentary

Thank you for being with us with all the rain updates that we brought you today. Both teams will next head off to Hamilton on Friday for the next game. Do join us for that game and hopefully the weather will be better and clear for that game. Stick around to our network for all the other cricketing actions across the globe.

For now, this is Ayan Chatterjee signing off on behalf of my co-commentators Ninaad Dixit and Megh Mandaliya alongside scorer/analysts Raju Khariya and Bishal Mandal. Stay safe, happy, and cool. Goodbye and CHEERS!

8:58 AM IST: It is official. Match has been called off due to rain. The rain has had the final say today as persistent and incessant rain has made the ground unfit to play. As we speak, it continues to rain at the Hagley Oval. Both teams will get 5 points each in the WSL standings.

8:52 AM IST: It is still raining at the Hagley Oval and we will still have an inspection at 8:55 AM IST.

7:34 AM IST: Rain continues to fall at the Hagley Oval. The cut-off time for a 20-over game is 7:02 PM Local Time i.e. 11:32 AM IST. We have started to lose overs as more than an hour has passed since the scheduled start of play. Stay tuned for further updates.

7:02 AM IST: While the rain continues to fall in Christchurch, a gentle reminder to all. This is a must-win game for Sri Lanka not only for this series but as far as direct qualification for the World Cup is concerned. An abandoned game will mean that the Lankans will have to take the route of the Qualifiers in order to make it into the World Cup.

Henry Shipley: "It was a funny game in Auckland. I have short memory of it. reflected on it and time now to get ready for the next game. It was a tough series against India in India as we came up against quality players on flat tracks there. It's much better at home as favourable conditions do help me. The crowd got behind us well in Auckland. We are pretty relaxed. Following the scores of the Ford Cup final, had lunch and hopefully, the rain will clear and we can have some game in the late afternoon/early evening. The atmosphere is excellent and we have gelled really well with each other. Domestic Cricket has been strong in New Zealand over the years and that helps us to take confidence into the international scene."

Gary Stead (New Zealand Head Coach): "The guys have decided to stay back at the hotel. There is definitely a delayed start. Really pleased with the victory in the first match. I think whenever you have a big number of changes, you are put under pressure and the guys responded pretty well to it. The new energy or enthusiasm that has been brought into the group shone through. For us, it was about rolling our good form of Test series into One-day series but you always get differences with people in the group. Yes, the IPL has naturally given us the opportunity to see some new faces and that’s good for us. It’s just about going out there and expressing your skills."

6:02 AM IST | Here's the official confirmation. It is pouring down in Christchurch at the moment and the toss has been delayed.

5:41 AM IST | Update: Bad news folks! It has been raining persistently in Christchurch and we might have a delay in toss today. More rain is also forecasted in the latter stages of the game but as of now, the covers are firmly placed at the Hagley Oval. We will be back live with further updates.

Team Update: Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips are set to miss the remainder of this series as the duo is off to participate in the IPL.

Players to Watch Out For Today (New Zealand):

Daryl Mitchell - 47 runs and 2 wickets in 1 match
Henry Shipley - 5 wickets in 1 match
Rachin Ravindra - 49 runs in 1 match

Players to Watch Out For Today (Sri Lanka):

Chamika Karunaratne - 4 wickets in 1 match
Lahiru Kumara - 2 wickets in 1 match
Dasun Shanaka - 1 wicket in 1 match

Head-to-Head: Both Sri Lanka and New Zealand recently faced other for the 100th time in ODI cricket, and the hosts hold an edge over Sri Lanka. They have defeated the Lankan team 50 times out of those 100 matches (With one tie and 8 games with no result). With 9 victories in their last 10 ODIs against Sri Lanka, New Zealand has been even more dominant recently.

Pre-match Pitch Report: Hagley Oval is just another one of those typical New Zealand surfaces which offer decent movement off the deck but the extra zip and bounce can be troublesome for batters. It goes without saying that pacers would fancy bowling here. If that wasn’t enough, the overcast conditions will only make things onerous for the batters.

The batters might be able to carry out their strokes freely once they’re set into the crease but expect another surface that tilts in favor of the bowlers. 12 out of 24 games have been won by teams batting first here but teams may be tempted to bowl first considering the overhead conditions.

5:30 AM IST | Hello and a warm welcome to our live coverage of the 2nd One-Day International (ODI) between New Zealand & Sri Lanka from Hagley Oval in Christchurch. I'm Megh Mandaliya and would be promptly joined by my co-commentators Ayan Chatterjee and Ninaad Dixit. We will take you through the ball-by-ball coverage of this exciting encounter with our scorers/analysts Raju Khariya and Bishal Mandal.

On Tuesday, hosts New Zealand will cross swords against Sri Lanka in the second ODI of the three-match series in Christchurch. The game holds paramount importance for Sri Lanka, who must win it to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive.

The first game witnessed New Zealand's sheer dominance on Sri Lanka, who were bundled out for a paltry 76, recording their lowest-ever ODI total against the BlackCaps.

Although the Lankan pace battery passed the Kiwi challenge with flying colours, their batters disappointed them to the core. The likes of Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka recorded single-digit scores, while Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka couldn't open their account. So, moving on to this face-off, the visitors would like a better approach from their batting unit, especially against the moving ball.

On the contrary, New Zealand were clinical on both batting and bowling front. Finn Allen scored a fabulous fifty, while Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra came up with crucial contributions. Henry Shipley led the bowling unit superbly, dismantling the Lankan lineup through a spectacular fifer. So, the hosts will aim at sustaining their momentum and bagging the series.

So, who will win?

Stay tuned the get the answer, as we will be back with the live coverage of the match at 05.30 AM IST on Tuesday.