Reserve day to rescue!

The fickle weather in Colombo allowed the embattled Men in Blue some respite in the morning on Sunday, with the sun breaking through stormy clouds during an uninterrupted practice session at the R Premadasa Stadium. However, the clouds gathered and unloaded at 5:15 pm, halting India's innings at 147 for two in 24.1 overs.

The weather has been a subject of intense debate through the Sri Lanka leg of the Asia Cup, which is a precursor to the upcoming ODI World Cup. Perhaps more than anything, rain and India-Pakistan clashes seem to go hand in hand in the tournament. After inclement weather hampered their group-stage match last Saturday, the heavyweights took the field for the second time on Sunday but met the same fate again. Following three inspections since 6 pm, the match was likely to resume, but rain came to have the final say.

Also Read: Rain plays spoilsport as India vs Pakistan tie moves into reserve day

But how truly significant a factor could the wave of washouts be to determine which two teams will advance to the finals and keep their hopes of glory alive? Delving back into history, it seems a decisive downpour has done more harm than others.

Take the instance of India in this tournament. If there is no match to decide the outcome of the India vs Pakistan Super Four game, both sides will be awarded one point each. By this rule, Pakistan will be seated atop the table with three points, having defeated Bangladesh on Wednesday in Lahore. India, on the other hand, will finish third with only one point, behind Sri Lanka who are placed second. Only the top two teams at the end of the Super Fours will qualify for the final on September 17.

In such a scenario, it is easy to blame the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for scheduling the Asia Cup matches around this time of the year, but there was really little they could have done. Sri Lanka was added as co-hosts alongside original tournament hosts Pakistan under a hybrid model after India refused to play their matches across their western border, given the geopolitical tension between the neighbours.

Four games were scheduled in Pakistan and the rest in Sri Lanka under the hybrid model. To ACC's defence, teams showed reluctance to play ODIs in the sweltering UAE heat, which could have potentially contributed to ‘player fatigue and an increased risk of injuries, particularly right before the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup'.

As thundery showers were forecast for the Sri Lankan capital over the weekend, the ACC, in order to save themselves from further embarrassment, had on Friday added a reserve day exclusively for India vs Pakistan on September 11. There is, however, no such luxury for the other two teams, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who played each other on Saturday. Notably, it did not rain during their Super Four encounter.

India and Pakistan, hence, will meet for the third time on Monday, with the Men in Blue resuming on 147 for two, hoping to play a complete match. The weather forecast predicts thundery showers throughout the day on the reserve day as well, with the likelihood of rain steadily increasing towards the evening.

Still, the addition of a reserve day certainly boosts the likelihood of the match being completed. For example, the heavy rain that forced their group stage match to be abandoned had cleared by the following day, meaning that the game could have finished then if the measure (reserve day) had been in place.

However, Bangladesh's head coach Chandika Hathurusingha hasn't taken the addition of reserve day too kindly. "It is not ideal, we also would have liked to have an extra day. The playing field should be equal to all. It's an unfair advantage to others. What can you do about it now? It has already been decided. But I don't have any more comments to make on this because they have already made a decision and, had they consulted us earlier, we would have given our opinion," said the former Sri Lankan batsman on Friday at a pre-match press conference.

Echoing Hathurusingha's sentiments, Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood expressed his disbelief over the sudden turn of events. "Nothing can be done now, I have not heard anything like this before. I am a bit surprised," he replied.

To everyone's surprise, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) contradicted Hathurusingha's comments and issued a statement on the development that only added to the confusion. According to the board, the decision for a reserve day was made with the consent of all four teams participating in the Super Four stage, terming it as ‘unanimous'. Minutes later, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC), in a tweet, also assured that they had been intimated by ACC regarding the move.

Much on the expected lines, the decision to have an exclusive reserve day for India and their arch-nemesis Pakistan has added another layer of intrigue to an already hotly-debated contest. "It was a last-minute addition. I do not know why Mr. Hathurusingha is surprised. The respective cricket boards were intimated by the Council (ACC)," a local Sri Lankan official told Mid-Day on condition of anonymity. The BCB, however, did not respond to requests for comment.

"This is a multi-nation tournament for God's sake. If it had to be only about India and Pakistan, why bother playing us at all? And if anyone deserved this more, it would be us, because we are the defending champions," said Ashwini Vijayarathnam, owner of a shirt manufacturing factory in Colombo's Padukka.

"From what it looks like, the matches are under threat due to persistent rain. The playing conditions had to be revised so there was absolute fairness to all teams. Their (India-Pakistan) previous match was also abandoned, so hopefully, rain doesn't play spoilsport again," added the official.