After a rain-interrupted match on Sunday, India will resume their innings against Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super 4 match. Play was halted at 4.53 PM due to heavy rain, prompting groundstaff efforts to clear affected areas near the pitch. However, the umpires were not satisfied with the conditions for resuming play. A third inspection was scheduled at 8.30 PM, but before that, rain returned, further delaying the cricket match.
The India vs. Pakistan match was allocated a reserve day, but the weather forecast for Monday is also uncertain. Currently, it is planned as a 50-overs-a-side match unless further rain interruptions occur.
In their first 2023 Asia Cup match against Pakistan on September 2, India’s game had to be abandoned after the first innings. The India vs. Nepal match was rain-shortened, but Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill achieved a revised target.
Babar Azam won the toss on Sunday and chose to field. Rohit Sharma started with a six against Shaheen Shah Afridi, while Shubman Gill played an impressive innings, taking on the Pakistani pacers on a flat pitch.
Gill was particularly harsh on Afridi, who had previously dropped him off Naseem Shah. Gill, having had a remarkable year in ODIs, took advantage of Afridi’s bowling, and India made a strong start. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, faced some challenges against Naseem Shah but managed to stay at the wicket.
Shubman Gill displayed delightful shots against Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was removed from the attack after three expensive overs in his initial spell. Faheem Ashraf and Haris Rauf’s introduction slowed the run rate, but by then, both India’s openers had settled in.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam adopted a defensive field placement strategy, allowing Shubman Gill to exploit some unusual tactics. Rohit Sharma soon found his rhythm, putting pressure on Pakistan with two top-quality opening batters.
Shadab Khan, Pakistan’s sole spinner on Sunday, was also costly. However, he managed to dismiss Rohit Sharma for a 49-ball 56, ending a 121-run opening partnership. With Virat Kohli’s arrival, Babar Azam brought back the left-arm paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi into the attack. Afridi quickly dismissed Gill, who scored 58 off 52 balls.
After the openers departed in successive overs, the focus shifted to Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, who switched places with Shreyas Iyer shortly before the toss. Rohit Sharma revealed that Iyer had a back spasm and would not be available for the crucial match.
Unlike the openers, Virat Kohli (8 not out off 16 balls) and KL Rahul (17 not out off 28 balls) adopted a defensive approach and did not take many risks, allowing Pakistan to regain control. As expected, rain returned to parts of Colombo, and the players returned to the dressing rooms, starting a long wait for the match to resume.
Despite the groundstaff’s efforts to cover the field, some areas were soaked. Umpires Chris Gaffaney and Ruchira Palliyaguruge inspected the affected areas twice and scheduled a third inspection at 8.30 PM when rain returned, activating the Reserve Day.
Reserve Day Action?
This means India, who were originally scheduled to play on September 10 (Sunday), will now return to the field on September 11 (Monday) and September 12 (Tuesday) for their Super 4 match against Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, the weather forecast for Monday does not look promising, with a high likelihood of rain from afternoon to evening.
