Kanpur braces for first day-nighter in series decider

The conch was blown at the Green Park in Kanpur as the Indian squad made their way out to the middle on the eve of the third and final One-Day International on Saturday (October 28) with an audience comprising, largely of policemen, who were supposed to be on duty. But like in any other part of the country, a close glimpse of their cricketing heroes trumped all else as Kanpur braced itself to host its first day-night ODI.

It has been an unfamiliar script for India who have had little trouble in brushing opponents aside lately. Sri Lanka were beaten in their own backyard rather convincingly, as were a touring Australia, who offered little resistance. New Zealand, though, were quick to pay heed to their captain's call of adaptation, and rather quickly at that, to alter the course of the series to force it to a decider. That, with a chance of creating history.

New Zealand have never beaten India in a bilateral ODI series in India. They had come close last year, where once again the last game of the five-match series in Vishakhapatnam would determine the winner. But in quite the anti-climatic finish, the visitors folded abjectly for a mere 79 as India handed them a 190-run thumping.

It could be a similar end to the series, but rest assured it won't be without a fight from the visitors who engaged in pre-match preparations under the morning sun, while India chose the afternoon one. Kanpur's wicket does not traditionally offer pace or bounce as a result of the soil found in this part of the country. Yet, given the climatic conditions that differ vastly from Pune or Mumbai, and the winter chill just setting in, the pacers might be able to extract some swing early on.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's variations