Asia Cup 2023, IND v PAK: Sunny Surprise Defies Rain Forecasts in Colombo

Colombo: Cricket enthusiasts were greeted by a pleasant surprise as they woke up to clear skies on a sunny Sunday morning, defying earlier weather forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms for the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match at Colombo. The clash between these two cricketing giants is set to take place at 3:00 pm in the afternoon at the renowned R Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka.

Despite prior predictions by the MET department indicating substantial rainfall over the weekend, Colombo has remained rain-free since Friday evening. Even the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh match proceeded without any weather interruptions on Saturday, despite forecasts of late-evening showers.

However, there’s a notable twist in the weather forecast for the IND vs PAK match, with AccuWeather indicating an 80 percent chance of rain starting at 5 pm. This is primarily due to expected humidity levels reaching around 78 percent. It’s worth noting that a similar forecast was in place for Saturday’s match, but fortunately, the rain held off, and there were no ominous clouds looming around the Premadasa Stadium.

It’s worth recalling that the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 group match last weekend in Pallekele was unfortunately abandoned due to heavy rains. In response to such uncertainties, organizers have wisely allocated a reserve day specifically for this Colombo contest. While every effort will be made to complete the game on Sunday, in case it extends into the reserve day, the match will resume from where it left off.

Turning our attention to the pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium, it’s renowned for being batsman-friendly and is expected to favour the batsmen once again. However, as the match progresses, fast bowlers may find some assistance, particularly in the later stages, while spinners are likely to dominate during the middle overs.

The decision to provide a reserve day exclusively for the India vs Pakistan match has raised questions among the coaches of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who expressed surprise at the decision. The Asian Cricket Council, however, clarified that this decision was made after consultations with the respective cricket boards.

So, cricket fans can hope for an exciting and uninterrupted contest between India and Pakistan, despite the weather uncertainties, at the iconic R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.