Rain has stopped play in Hamilton before a single ball was bowled. India won the toss and chose to field, but the players are still waiting for the weather to clear in the 3rd ODI against New Zealand.
Updated: 10 November 2026, 11:00 IST
Quick Read
- No ball has been bowled yet. Rain returned after the toss, and the ground staff have not taken the covers off at Seddon Park.
- The match has been cut to 40 overs a side. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss at 9:02 am IST and chose to field.
- India lead the five-match series 2-0. A win today seals the series. New Zealand must win to stay alive.
The start was pushed back twice before it even began. The match was due to start at 7:30 am IST. Rain arrived just before the toss, so the toss moved to 7:32 am, then again. The game was cut to 40 overs a side, the toss finally took place at 9:02 am IST, and play was set for 9:30 am IST, the Times of India live blog reports. Then the rain came back.
At 9:29 am IST, the rain had eased a little, but the ground staff had still not taken the covers off. “With this latest interruption adding to the delay, we are likely to lose a few more overs from the contest,” the Times of India blog said. Times Now reported the same picture at 9:28 am IST: “It’s still raining in Hamilton. It isn’t raining heavily but the intensity is enough to keep players off the field. Play won’t start at 9:30 AM IST.”
That means the score is New Zealand 0 for 0 in 0 overs, and India are yet to bat. Nothing else has happened on the field. This post will be updated when play starts. Do not trust any score you see from a highlights video or a fan page — several old matches and fake highlight clips are already floating around with made-up scores.
Both teams, as named
The playing XIs were named at the toss. India kept faith with the side that has won both games so far. Rohit Sharma opens with captain Shubman Gill. Virat Kohli bats at three, then Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and KL Rahul as wicketkeeper. Naman Dhir comes in lower down. The bowling is Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, and Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, named Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham as wicketkeeper, Glenn Phillips, Santner, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, and Matthew Fisher. Jamieson and Duffy both took three wickets in the last game, so India will watch them first.
Gill’s call to bowl first makes sense in these conditions. A wet outfield and cloud cover help the team bowling first, and the rain means the team batting second could get a smaller target under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. That is the rain rule that decides a shortened game. It already decided the last match.
How the series stands
India won the first two games, in Auckland and Wellington. Here is the series so far:
| Match | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | Auckland | India won — series 1-0 |
| 2nd ODI | Wellington | India won by 4 runs (DLS) — series 2-0 |
| 3rd ODI | Hamilton | Rain-delayed, no play yet |
The 2nd ODI was a strange one. New Zealand made only 134, with Daryl Mitchell top-scoring on 55. Gurnoor Brar took 4 for 30 and was named player of the match. India were 113 for 6 when rain stopped play, with Shreyas Iyer on 30 and KL Rahul 26 not out. Under DLS, India were four runs ahead of the par score of 109, so India won by four runs. Jamieson and Duffy took three wickets each for New Zealand.
Also read: India beat NZ by 4 runs: DLS win, series 2-0
What each result today means
An India win today ends the series as a contest. India would go 3-0 up with two games still to play. New Zealand would be playing only for pride in the last two matches.
A New Zealand win keeps the series alive at 2-1, with two games left. And if rain washes the game out entirely, the series stays 2-0. India would still be unable to lose the series — even if New Zealand won both remaining games, the best they could do is draw it 2-2. That is why the rain hurts New Zealand far more than it hurts India.
For a result today, each side must bat at least 20 overs. If the rain does not allow that, the match is called off with no result. The forecast for Hamilton is not kind, but the ground staff at Seddon Park are used to quick turnarounds. The next update from the ground will tell us if the covers are coming off.
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FAQ
Has the IND vs NZ 3rd ODI started?
No. As of 9:30 am IST on 10 November, no ball has been bowled. Rain returned after the toss at Seddon Park, Hamilton, and the covers are still on. The match has been reduced to 40 overs a side.
Who won the toss in the 3rd ODI?
India captain Shubman Gill won the toss at 9:02 am IST and chose to field first.
What happens if rain washes out the match?
The series stays 2-0 to India, with two games left. India cannot lose the series from here — New Zealand could at best draw it 2-2. A result needs at least 20 overs per side.
Also read: IND vs NZ 3rd ODI: Hamilton, India eye series win
Sources
- Times of India — India vs New Zealand Live Score, 3rd ODI (10 Nov 2026)
- NZ Herald — Black Caps v India live updates: Third ODI from Hamilton’s Seddon Park (10 Nov 2026)
- Times Now — India vs New Zealand 3rd ODI Live: India opt to bowl first, rain returns after toss (10 Nov 2026)
Sasanka Sekhar Pradhan is the founder of India Presents, an India-focused news site. He covers daily box-office trackers, India news, economy explainers, sports previews and festival guides — in simple English, so readers across India can follow fast-moving stories without jargon. His focus is what a story means for the reader: the number that matters, the source behind it, and what happens next. India Presents publishes daily, with day-trackers updated as new figures come in.
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