The Men in Blue were asked to bat first and were at 147/2 when the Heaven gates opened up, not allowing any game after 24.1 overs were bowled.
Digital Desk: India and Pakistan's Asia Cup Super Four match was postponed to a reserve day after rain ruined the party on the initially scheduled match-day on Sunday. For the second time in the continental competition, India and Pakistan faced off in Colombo, but the weather gods were not in the mood to leave the game alone. The Heaven gates opened after 24.1 overs of bowling and prevented the game from continuing. The Men in Blue had been invited to bat first and were at 147/2.
The fans can still see a winner between the two Asian Giants because the game has the reserve day's cushion. However, the weather outlook for the next day is not promising either, and Colombo experienced a lot of rain on Monday morning. There are no more days for this match, and if rain plays the wash-out, there won't be a winner.
Will the weather prevent India from making it to the Asia Cup final?
Both teams will get a point if the rain washed out the reserve day as well, and India would open their account in the points table since they haven't received a point in the Super Four thus far. But it might have a significant impact on the Men in Blue's chances of making the Asia Cup finals. India will play two more games after this one, with a maximum point total of five. Pakistan is now in first place with 2 points, followed by Sri Lanka in second place with 2 points, and the Men in Blue are in third place.
After the match between India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka has two more games. Pakistan will therefore reclaim first place with three points overall if the match against India ends in a washout. Currently, Sri Lanka is in second place with two points. For India to be assured a spot in the championship game, they must defeat both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They run the risk of losing to one of the two and being eliminated if they lose.
However, the Indian squad can still make it if they win just one game. But in this instance, they are dependent on the results of the other matches. If the Men in Blue only defeat Sri Lanka, they will want Pakistan to defeat the Lankan Lions as well because it would leave India with three points and Sri Lanka with only two. The outcome will depend on the Net run rate if Pakistan fails to defeat Sri Lanka because the Men in Green will also have three points.
If only India defeated Bangladesh, they would only be able to get ahead based on net run rate and not point differential. With a loss versus Sri Lanka, the Dasun Shanaka-led team would pass Pakistan with four points. The showdown between Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be of the utmost importance to the Men in Blue because India can only go three at a time. India will be eliminated if Pakistan defeats Sri Lanka, but if Sri Lanka triumphs, India may still advance if they have a higher NRR than the Men in Green.
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