The probability of rain for the 2023 Asia Cup Super Four tie between India and Pakistan had miraculously plummeted from 80% to 24% before the start of the game on Sunday, 10 September, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The sun was out in all its glory during the start of the match, and it did seem rain would not play spoilsport in yet another India-Pakistan encounter, but after 24.1 overs of action, the uninvited intruder made an appearance again.
Since then, till the time of writing, the downpour has been incessant, but unlike the group stage fixture where the match had to be called off, Indian and Pakistani cricket enthusiasts can expect a result from this fixture.
In a decision that has sparked debates aplenty, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced a reserved day for only this particular Super Four fixture. Should the match not resume today, it will be carried forward to tomorrow – Monday, 11 September.
Resumption or Restart on Reserve Day?
In case the reserve day comes into play, the match will not be restarted from the first ball, but resumed from the position wherein rain had stopped play.
If we don’t have any more overs today, the action will resume tomorrow from the second ball of the 25th over of India’s innings, with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in strike. Currently, the men in blue’s score reads 147/2 after 24.1 overs. Both of India’s openers, Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma, struck half-centuries.
When Will the Reserve Day Be Used?
Whilst fans would ideally want to witness a full-length match between the heavyweights, the priority for the organisers is to get a result today.
In such a scenario, the game will resume today as long as a 20-over run chase is possible. Should it be be reduced to a 20-over chase for Pakistan, Babar Azam's team will need to score 181 runs to win.
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