Rain wins the day at Pallekele!

Roughly three hours before the toss at the Pallekele stadium, Aayan Afzal Ansari boarded a train from Colombo's Fort Station to Kandy hoping against hope that he and his seven-year-old daughter would be able to witness a much-awaited rematch of the 2021 encounter between his native country Pakistan and India.

Afzal is a businessman from Karachi living in Colombo since 2018 with his family of five. After Pakistan stunned Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023 opener, the 32-year-old knew at once that he would not miss watching the Men in Green register another win if the sun came out. But his heart sank as he witnessed rain the moment his train left Fort. Much to his dismay, he arrived in Kandy to the news that there was almost a 60 percent chance that the game would be washed out.

"It is very annoying when you travel all the way from Colombo to the stadium and the match gets cancelled in the end. Luckily, we got there just in time. The persistent rain was such a mood spoiler. Cricket in Sri Lanka should really be played indoors," a visibly irritated Afzal remarked.

The roofed stadiums piqued my interest for a little while, but it is far away from reality. And until that day arrives, many others like Afzal and myself will be lumped with rain interruptions and lengthy delays.

Where there is cricket, there is rain! - this unwritten law might not be pencilled into the giant book of cricket laws yet, but there seems to be no getting away from it, especially during the big matches. It is a natural phenomenon, I agree, and yet administrators take their chances.

When asked if he intends to watch more matches at the stadium, Afzal replied: "Maybe, if work permits. This was my first time at an India-Pakistan game, so the excitement was palpable. Now that we are into Super 4s, I will think about taking some time off work and enjoying watching the boys. Hopefully, there will be one more India-Pakistan before the World Cup." Afzal's predicament reminds me of a very popular saying in Sri Lanka that you must play a cricket match if you want rain.

Rain interrupted thrice on Saturday, leaving the fans fuming. What began as a drizzle soon turned into a heavy downpour.

The downpour began in the fifth over, when India reached 15 for no loss. Play resumed minutes later, only to be halted again in the 12th over, after a skillful spell of Pakistani pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi sent the Indian batting mainstays Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back into the dressing room. Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya's attempts to revive India's innings lifted spirits, but the rain returned with a vengeance after the Men in Blue posted a healthy 266 on board, leading to the suspension of the game.

"This was our first stadium visit. And we were looking forward to watching the full game. But the rain ruined it all. I don't feel like visiting the stadium anymore. Both I and my wife are cricket aficionados, we are on our honeymoon trip. This was a short leave, and I have to report back to duty on Friday. This is why we want to make the most of it. So, my wife suggested that we go on a cruise tour instead," said Ashwin Bhatia, an Army jawan by profession.

The silver-grey clouds may have enveloped the sky completely, but the Bhatias hoped favourable weather conditions would prevail in the next few hours. ‘We spotted a steady stream of fans converging on Pallekele in the afternoon sun. The clock struck 12…and the weather had started to improve. Who knew the match would be washed out at last? But at least we were lucky to watch the first innings."

As the sun peeked through the clouds during the toss, the atmosphere inside the stadium gradually intensified. Both Indian and Pakistani players began to filter out for a warm-up ahead of the high-octane clash, as the spirited chants and cheers continued to resonate through the stadium.

Also Read: Asia Cup 2023: Another chapter in India vs Pakistan rivalry

It was a subdued start from the Men in Blue but that could barely quieten the crowd with every boundary bringing the fans to their feet in an undulating swath of blue and green. The first rain delay did little to dampen the spirits with skipper Rohit, on 11, and opening partner Shubman Gill, on nought, being at the crease. Before the second rain interruption, India's top-order collapse ensured the Pakistani fans had something to cheer for. However, after another downpour forced Ishan and Gill off the field, there was something of a lull when the action restarted.

"By that time, we knew this would eventually cost us the match. I think most of us had lost interest by then. I was scheduled to return to Delhi later that night, so I had no choice but to stay back," said Vikas Mehta, director of a sports promoter group. After the match was abandoned, Vikas decamped to a coffee shop close by until it was time to board his flight back home. With rain not allowing any further action, the teams were forced to share one point each. The rain gods heavily favoured Pakistan once more, as Babar Azam and Co. qualified for the Super Four stage with no inning being played.

Pallekele has been largely free of rain in the two days preceding Saturday's game. The weather is believed to slightly improve in time for Monday's match, but beyond that, it looks as bleak as ever. In case this match suffers a similar fate as Saturday, India and Nepal will earn one point each. With two points secured from the league round, India will thus qualify for the Super Four stage.

Barring the first Super Four stage in Lahore on September 6, talks are on for shifting the remaining matches from Colombo to Dambulla, which is in Sri Lanka's dry zone. The players might have to keep themselves match-ready, in case the sky clears up at all. Meanwhile, as Vikas aptly points out, fans may find themselves more accustomed to reading and hearing about rain updates than cricket scores.