Colombo Weather Forecast Monday: Rain Likely To Disrupt India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2023 Reserve Day
Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Super 4 match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan started off with a sunny weather on Sunday but all of a sudden, a thunderstorm played spoilsport as the game had to be stopped due to the heavy downpour at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. As of now, India are 147/2 in 24.1 overs, with captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill slamming 56 and 58 respectively.
The weather in Sri Lanka has been a point of concern through out the course of the tournament as heavy rain is expected in the Island country at this point of month.
Thankfully, there will be a Reserve Day on Monday, 11th September but with the weather saying something else, the officials will try to have a 20-over match at least.
As far as the weather is concerned, there would be heavy rain on Monday as well throughout the day and it would be a big headache for the officials to get a result.
If it’s a washout on Monday as well, then very obviously the points will be shared.
Before the rain started, Rohit and Gill put on a stunning exhibition of stroke play to pulverise the Pakistan bowlers in their 121-run opening partnership. Sharma set the tone for rattling Pakistan by flicking Shaheen Shah Afridi over square leg for a six on the last ball of the opening over.
Though the pitch had little movement to offer, Sharma and Gill were positive in their footwork and even danced down the pitch, which was reflected in their stroke play too. After Sharma drove Naseem Shah through extra cover for four, Gill didn’t let Afridi settle with three scintillating boundaries in the arc from mid-off to fine leg.
Naseem was holding one end tight with his accurate line and length, even though Gill took three more boundaries off Afridi, who switched to round the wicket angle and sprayed it full in search of swing. Gill also had luck on his side, when an outside edge off Naseem went between two fielders at slips for a boundary.
Gill was a far different player from his struggles against the same bowling line-up last week, feasting on short balls from Faheem Ashraf and Haris Rauf to reach his fifty off just 37 balls.
Sharma overcame his slowdown period by flicking and pulling off Shah handsomely, before welcoming Rauf with his trademark pull to pile more pressure on Pakistan.
Sharma would reach his fifty in style in just 42 balls, smacking Shadab over deep mid-wicket for six, followed by another cut going for four.
But Shadab Khan bounced back in the 17th over, enticing Sharma to chip a leg-break over the off-side. The Indian skipper went for the loft but was caught by the long-off fielder running 10 metres to his left. One brought two for Pakistan as Gill chipped a slower delivery from Afridi to cover.
K.L. Rahul, playing in his first competitive game since May 1 after a long lay-off due to a right thigh injury, was splendid in his timing of pulling Afridi and Haris over mid-wicket for boundaries.
He and Virat Kohli were motoring at eight and 17 respectively before rain started pelting the stadium to temporarily stop the proceedings.