Asia Cup 2023: Rain forces Pakistan, India Super 4 match into reserve day

Colombo: Rain on Sunday disrupted the highly-anticipated Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo, forcing it into reserve day. 

A storm rolled into the Premadasa Stadium, prompting the immediate use of covers. India had reached a score of 147/2 in 24.1 overs when play was halted.

Before the rain interruption, Pakistan had mounted a comeback, taking the wickets of both Indian openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, before the 20th over.

Pakistan won the toss on Sunday and chose to bowl in the high-stakes Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 encounter with India in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Pakistan fielded an unchanged XI for this crucial match, while India made two changes. Shreyas Iyer was forced to withdraw due to a back spasm just moments before the toss, and he was replaced by KL Rahul. Jasprit Bumrah also replaced Mohammad Shami in the Indian lineup.

The arch-rivals resumed their rivalry following a rain-out in their previous game in Pallekele. In that contest, India was bowled out for 266 in 48.5 overs, and Pakistan was unable to commence their chase due to inclement weather.
Having defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in their initial Super Four match, Pakistan sought to maintain their excellent form in the Asia Cup.

Persistent rain forces the #PAKvIND Super 4 match into the reserve day 🏏

Ticket-holders for today's game will be able to utilise their tickets for the reserve day.#AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/g4sBxolfaF

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 10, 2023

Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, announced their decision to bowl first, citing the moisture in the pitch. He acknowledged the intense nature of India-Pakistan matches but emphasized a match-by-match approach and the team's current form.

Meanwhile, India was playing their first Super 4 stage match and expressed their intention to bat first. They drew confidence from their previous batting performance and were focused on taking each game as it comes.
The Group stage match between India and Pakistan on September 2 had also been canceled in Pallekele.
Despite a 90% chance of precipitation, spectators and fans were concerned about another disrupted game. However, reports indicated that it was bright and sunny on Sunday morning in Colombo.

In the event of rain interrupting the match later in the day, it would be rescheduled for Monday, the designated reserve day.
This match held great significance, as a single loss in the Super 4s could push a team to the brink of "must-win territory." With Sri Lanka in formidable form and scheduled to face both India and Pakistan in the coming week, the two points up for grabs were in high demand.
There was also speculation that this could potentially be the final India vs. Pakistan fixture in the 2023 Asia Cup, as Sri Lanka was a strong contender to reach the finals. Historical records indicated that India and Pakistan had never met in an Asia Cup final.

Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.