India battle New Zealand in a top of the table clash match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on June 13 (Thursday). The IND vs NZ game has been breaking headlines even before it could kick-start, especially with rain threatening to spoil the fun. The thumb injury to Shikhar Dhawan has also propped up questions about India’s probable batting order, with the no 4 conundrum once again keeping the fans worried. Meanwhile, former New Zealand cricketer and commentator Simon Doull has provided some valuable latest updates on both the current weather conditions at Trent Bridge in Nottingham as well as India’s possible number four batsman against New Zealand. Follow Nottingham Weather Updates Live Here.

Doull was speaking about it in a short video posted by the Cricket World Cup. While the former New Zealand fast bowler was standing beside the pitch, the entire pitch and many of the ground was still covered because of the continuous rainfall.

It has been raining continuously since Monday in Nottingham and with the Met Office in England issuing a ‘yellow warning’ for heavy rains in parts of South East England and East Midlands, rain is certain to play a major role in the IND vs NZ match. According to Doull, “It has been raining for the last couple of days in and around Nottingham, leaving the groundsman with no option but to keep the pitch covered.” And with no sunshine, the pitch is expected to be damp providing a serious threat to the match. Even if the IND vs NZ match is played, it is expected to have a delay start with the ground and pitch taking more than normal time to dry up.  India vs New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Weather Report: Check Out the Rain Forecast and Pitch Report of Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

Watch The Video Here:

Doull also spoke on India’s possible number four batsman in the match against New Zealand. The thumb injury to Dhawan, who has been ruled out for at least three weeks, has disrupted the Indian batting order. With KL Rahul moving up to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma, the middle order once again has a vacant position. Doull mentioned that from the net sessions it looked like Dinesh Karthik may get the nod ahead of Vijay Shankar. Hardik Pandya and Patrick Farhart Give Us a Peek Into What Goes Inside the Indian Cricket Team’s Dressing Room Ahead of IND vs NZ CWC19 Match, Watch Video.

“Dinesh Karthik had a net and just getting some throwdowns. Maybe he is the option at number four. There was a discussion between skipper Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri about the number four option, now that Shikhar Dhawan is gone. KL Rahul automatically shifts to the top order. Number Four has been the big talking point for India in the last year and a half,” said the 49-year-old in a short video posted by the official Twitter handle of Cricket World Cup.

“Personally it looked like, it might be DK getting the nod just ahead of Shankar. He is a genuine batsman,” added Doull before also saying that “Shankar could offer a little bit with the ball in these conditions if required.”

Although India could still manage to go through a short practice session in between the rain spells, New Zealand were unfortunate to get no net session on the ground. The Black Caps could only manage a small indoor session. He, however, still feels that the wet and cold conditions might work in favour of the New Zealand fast bowlers although India has a good seam attack.]

India and New Zealand are the only team unbeaten so far in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and will look to continue their 100% win-record in the tournament. New Zealand are on top of the points table with six points from three games, while India are on fourth with four points from two matches.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2019 01:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).