Unseasonal rain has produced seaming conditions that appear to favour the quick bowlers, leaving batters facing a far tougher examination than they expected. The weather could also affect the third New Zealand against India ODI in Hamilton, so the conditions may shape that match as well.

Batters will find little comfort in that assessment, since movement off the surface can strip away the easy runs they usually rely on. Yet there is a case that these conditions are doing the game a service, forcing players to adapt their technique and patience rather than simply swinging through the ball. The sides that adjust quickest to the weather, rather than fighting against it, may gain the most from what comes next in Hamilton.

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