Weather forecast for Hamilton for the fourth and crucial One-Day International match between India and New Zealand indicates that the weather will remain good throughout the game and it will allow to completion of 50 overs per innings as rain is not expected in Hamilton tomorrow.
The match will start with the maximum temperature hovering around 25 degrees and winds blowing at about 15 kmph. It will drop to settle in the teens during the second innings. The series is alive after India tied the 3rd game while chasing 314 at Eden Park in Auckland. India is 0-2 behind in the series.
India had lost the second ODI played here on 22nd of January. India failed to chase a target revised through the Duckworth-Lewis Method. The method is a mathematical formula designed to calculate the target for the team batting second in a limited overs match interrupted by weather or other circumstances. It is widely accepted to be most accurate method of setting a target score. The method was devised by Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis.
Instances are there that the method had a tendency to favour team defending a total but interestingly even after failing twice and drawing once, team India has opted to chase a target after winning the toss.
According to Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's bowling is still struggling to get in terms with the two new ball rule and if they have to set the target, batsmen will come under tremendous pressure to post a big total to defend.
"In a way, you may say that we are taking some pressure off the batsmen by bowling first. "If we bat first, we might ask our batsmen to give 325-340 runs to the bowlers to bowl at every time. So overall, I like our approach. There is a certain brand of cricket we are known for. That has been missing in the last few games," Dhoni said.
Photograph by Kieran Connellan
