Rain ruins another India-Pakistan contest

Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma put on a century partnership for the first wicket for India

Heavy rain at the R. Premadasa Stadium pushes the India-Pakistan Asia Cup Super4 match onto a second day  

• Heavy rain pushes match into reserve day

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

It seems the contest between Asian rivals India and Pakistan is doomed to failure in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 tournament.

For the second time when they met the weather Gods were not kind to them, for after 24.1 overs of action during which period India sailed to 147-2, a heavy shower interrupted play. After a four-hour delay when the ground staff had got the field virtually ready for a resumption another heavy downpour put paid to any chances of the game starting.

The umpires called off play for the day soon afterwards with the match rescheduled to continue today at 3 p.m. The continuation of the match means that India will have to play on three consecutive days as their match against Sri Lanka will be on Tuesday.   

The first meeting between the two sides (India and Pakistan) in the Group stage at Pallekele saw only the Indian innings complete before the rains set in.

The heavy rains that came so suddenly yesterday at 4.53 p.m. caught the usually alert ground staff unaware and by the time they had the entire ground covered, several parts of it had gotten very wet and needed a lot of repairs. The umpires had to have three inspections to convince themselves that the ground was ready for play.

Just as the umpires were having the final inspection, apparently with the idea of re-starting the match at 9 p.m. another heavy downpour dashed all hopes of any resumption of play for the day.

In the 114 minutes of play that was possible Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill helped themselves to an opening stand of 121 off 100 balls before both departed within two runs of each other.

Sharma holed out to long-off for 56 off 49 balls having pummelled spinner Shadab Khan for three of his four sixes. The bowler however had his revenge by having Sharma caught having hit four sixes and six fours.

Immediately after Shahin Afridi came for his second spell, had Gill dollying a catch to cover for 58 scored off 52 balls (10 fours).

Pakistan’s pace bowlers did too much with the ball to pick up a wicket. The batsmen were either beaten for pace or swing and were lucky to survive the opening spells, with balls falling close to the fieldsmen.

Virat Kohli (8*) and Lokesh Rahul (17*) will resume India’s innings today weather permitting.