After a completely rain-free game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on Saturday, bright overhead conditions in the initial stages at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday did give an impression that this India-Pakistan Super Fours clash of the Asia Cup would go on uninterrupted. And the reserve day (Monday) wouldn’t be required at all.
But with India well placed at 147/2 in 24.1 overs, following a superb start by openers Rohit Sharma (56) and Shubman Gill (58), it started pouring again.
With the conditions not getting any better, the reserve day had to be activated as India will resume the proceedings with Virat Kohli on eight and KL Rahul — coming in place of Shreyas Iyer, who was out with back spasm — on 17.
Shadab Khan exults after dismissing Rohit Sharma on Sunday. Getty Images
This also means that India now have to play three days on the trot, with co-hosts Sri Lanka their next opponents at the same venue on Tuesday.
The rain on Sunday did stop for a while and the covers too were removed later in the evening. But just as the umpires went down for the third inspection at 8.30pm IST, the downpour resumed, cancelling all possible chances of any further play on Sunday.
For Monday too, there’s a forecast of rain and thunderstorms.
However, for India, the performance of their openers against the Pakistani quicks was certainly Sunday’s one big positive, especially with the World Cup approaching. Conditions at the Premadasa weren’t pacer-friendly as they were in Pallekele, although the pitch seemed a bit two-paced with variable bounce.
But the tactic of both Rohit and Gill was quite clear. Gill had spoken of the need to counterpunch the Shaheen Shah Afridi-led pace attack on Saturday, and he made sure he executed it.
Rohit took India off the mark with a maximum over the deep square-leg region in the first over when Shaheen over-pitched one on to the India captain’s pads. Then in the left-armer’s next over, Gill took him on.
Shaheen tried to pitch it up even when there was hardly any movement, and Gill used his feet well enough to get close to the ball and drove it, slashed it and launched it over the on-side for a flurry of strokes, giving India the start they had hoped for.
It was one of those rare occasions when Shaheen seemed flustered. The left-arm quick though had hurt his left forefinger while attempting a catch when Gill mishit one towards third man off Naseem Shah in the second over. Shaheen had also left the field for a while.
One wonders if that turned out to be a hindrance for Shaheen, but one can take nothing away from Gill’s assault on the opponents’ premier bowler, which certainly took Pakistan by surprise.
Only Naseem posed a few problems for Gill, twice inducing an edge off his blade with the Pakistan slip cordon letting the batsman off on one occasion. Rohit, too, quickly got into his groove, being severe on Shadab Khan when the leg-spinner dished out freebies in his first two overs.
Fortunately for Pakistan, Rohit mis-timed one and was caught at the deep off Shadab, bringing an end to the 121-run opening stand inside 17 overs. In the very next over, a slower one from Shaheen ended Gill’s stay.
Pakistan could somehow breathe then.
