Rain Takes Over After Williamson And Taylor Lead Kiwi Fightback

The match will resume at the same stage on Wednesday, the reserve day, weather permitting.

- Vijaya Kumar

It was a Tuesday of slow runs, damp weather and the long wait. Under grim skies that made illuminated floodlights a mandatory accessory to the World Cup semifinal, India tightened the screws on New Zealand.

Old Trafford’s dry pitch was on the slower side and the niggardly Men in Blue restricted the Black Caps to 211 for five in 46.1 overs when a steady drizzle gained strength and forced umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough to stop play at 2 p.m. local time.

The rains that wavered between the feathery drops and the insistent pitter-patter, continued unabated till 4.15 p.m. when the sun grudgingly peeped out.

While the match officials hoped for an extended dry phase so that India could commence an abridged chase with a revised target based on the Duckworth-Lewis Method, a fresh wet spell just as the umpires were inspecting the turf at 6.10 p.m., affected revival-plans and it was decided to resume the face-off on Wednesday, which is the reserve day

Earlier in the morning despite a cloud cover and a nip in the air, boisterous Indian fans jostled on the roads, yelled patriotic slogans and belted out a rhyme in Rohit Sharma’s honour while WhatsApp was flooded with one query: “will it rain?”

A cacophony of noise erupted from the stands as Kane Williamson won the toss, opted to bat and Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls strode towards the crease.