Intense motion lasting 112 minutes was adopted by an virtually four-hour-long agonising wait as rain ended up rising because the winner within the high-octane Asia Cup conflict between India and Pakistan for the second weekend in succession.
Nonetheless, not like in Pallekele final Saturday, the groups will resume the Tremendous 4 conflict on Monday, with India positioned at 147 for 2 in 24.1 overs. Virat Kohli and Okay.L. Rahul – who was drafted in solely as a result of Shreyas Iyer damage his again minutes earlier than the toss – will resume India’s essay on the R. Premadasa Stadium on Monday afternoon.
AS IT HAPPENED: IND vs PAK Highlights
With a reserve day having been added on the eleventh hour just for the marquee conflict, it will likely be fascinating to see if a most of 76 overs’ play is feasible on Monday. Had the sport resumed on Sunday evening after the heavy downpour, it will have been a shortened recreation.
However simply because the umpires had been strolling out for a closing inspection, the skies opened up once more at 8.30 p.m., and the sport was suspended at 8.45 p.m.
Earlier within the afternoon, nonetheless, beneath a scorching solar, India captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill reigned supreme towards Pakistan’s tempo battery in an entertaining duel.
Rohit’s flick off the final ball of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s opening over sailed over square-leg for a six. Gill took the cue in Afridi’s subsequent over, displaying his class with punches. He struck three boundaries within the fifth over as effectively, together with an aerial drive over mid-on after charging down the wicket.
Whereas Afridi was hammered for 31 runs in his three overs, Naseem Shah bowled an distinctive spell from the opposite finish. Neither Rohit, who went right into a defensive mode, nor Gill may discover a solution to counter Naseem. Had Iftikhar Ahmed and Agha Salman not been ball-watching at first and second slip, respectively, within the eighth over, Gill’s edge may have been caught and Naseem deservingly rewarded.
Gill continued to attain freely from the opposite finish. As if he was ready for spin, Rohit exploded as soon as Shadab Khan’s leg-spin was launched. The ten balls Rohit confronted towards Shadab fetched him a whopping 28 runs.
It resulted in each Rohit and Gill having notched up their fifties, with India in management. Nonetheless, moments after the drinks break, Rohit miscued an inside-out drive and Faheem Ashraf took a wonderful catch operating in to his left from long-off.
Within the subsequent over, Gill was deceived by Afridi’s leg cutter, and Salman didn’t falter at covers. It meant Kohli and Rahul needed to be cautious for some time. Simply when Rahul appeared to get his contact again, the skies opened up. And even earlier than the groundstaff may cowl the outfield, three moist patches within the outfield had developed because of the heavy downpour that prevented any additional play.