Irrespective of if you are a player, umpire, commentator, administrator, cop or just a fan, there are plentiful things to worry with respect to an India vs Pakistan ODI. In such a situation, the last thing one would want to fluster about is the weather forecast for the match day.
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Regrettably, weather has managed to attain a top spot for all discussions pertaining to the first India vs Pakistan ODI since ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
In what is going to be the first ODI of this world-famous rivalry in Sri Lanka since Harbhajan Singh had rattled Shoaib Akhtar with a six in the business end of a nail-biting Asia Cup 2010 encounter, the first-ever India vs Pakistan ODI at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium has it in it to be severely affected by rain. Assuming it happens, it will be the first India vs Pakistan ODI to bear the brunt of weather gods in the last 16 years.
Pallekele’s Weather Casts Uncertainty Over India Vs Pakistan ODI In Asia Cup 2023
First things first, it is not uncommon for persistent rain to make its presence felt in this part of the world at this time of the year. While it was expected to rain even during the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match yesterday as well, leniency on the part of the weather gods prevented the contest from suffering in a major way.
A similar level of clemency will provide a shot in the arm to the India vs Pakistan ODI tomorrow. Scheduled to kick-start at 03:00 PM (local time), reliable weather portal AccuWeather predicts a 58% rain probability right at the starting time.
While the numeric is anticipated to undergo a reduction for most part of the first innings, it will rise to 60% around 07:00 PM. The scariest part of the weather prediction is that the rain probability is likely to remain at 65% till midnight. In case of continual rainfall, there will remain minimal chances of a rain-curtailed match because of the same.
India vs Pakistan ODI Got Abandoned Due To Rain In 2007
With an India vs Pakistan ODI set to be played after more than four years, all the stakeholders will be hoping for the fate of this match to not replicate the last rain-affected ODI between these two fierce opponents.
For the unversed, it was way back in 2007 when an India vs Pakistan ODI was abandoned without a ball being bowled. A rare one-off match in Glasgow didn’t even comprise scope for a toss as inclement weather conditions had played spoilsport in true sense.
With the contest part of India’s tour of Ireland, Scotland and England and Pakistan’s tour of Scotland, it wouldn’t be wrong to term that a clash made in heaven was affected by the same heaven. Since then, all 39 India-Pakistan matches across formats have been bereft of any weather interruption.
Barring India captain Rohit Sharma, no other player part of either Indian or Pakistani squad currently plays at the highest level. Then-India captain Rahul Dravid, meanwhile, has transformed into the head coach of the team.
Co-incidentally, Pakistan’s one-off ODI against Scotland in Edinburgh had also been abandoned without a ball being bowled.
