The Black Caps are eager to play against India at Trent Bridge on Thursday. As they should be – all top-level athletes are supremely confident in their abilities – and having claimed dominant ODI victories over India in Hamilton and in their World Cup warm-up clash, a fourth straight World Cup win is not an outlandish proposition.
But, the Black Caps probably aren't going to play against India at Trent Bridge on Thursday – and that's probably not such a bad thing. An already dispiriting weather forecast isn't getting any better, with the Met Office having moved from predicting a 40-50 per cent chance of rain for most of the day, to a 60-90 per cent probability of rain – and in the afternoon, rather heavy rain at that.
Black Caps seamer Lockie Ferguson isn't thinking that way, however. The threat of rain looms large over the contest between the tournament’s only two unbeaten teams. A record three matches have already been either abandoned or called off in the weather-hit tournament and Ferguson hoped Trent Bridge would not fall victim to another downpour.
“It’s the World Cup. We’re playing against India in the World Cup and it’s an opportunity to get two points and we don’t want to get rained-out games,” he said. “I don’t think any players do but if that happens then so be it. We can’t control that but we’re looking forward to playing India and getting some confidence against them.”
"We want to play. We're playing India in the World Cup; it's an opportunity to get two points. We don't want to get a rained out game – I don't think any players do. We're looking to play India and build some confidence against them." That's undoubtedly true for the players, but there are worse fates than earning a point in a game where a neutral observer would expect no return. And, you feel that if given truth serum, the Black Caps would acknowledge that if any of their first four games was to be rained out, this would have undoubtedly been the one that they would have chosen.
