Rain creating chance of draw in India-Pakistan test
Rain played the spoilsport on the day two of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka at Galle as not even a single ball was played due to bad weather.
The game was abandoned earlier than usual yesterday due to bad light and hence, will start half hour before the scheduled time tomorrow.
However, continuous downpour from the previous night ensured that there could be no game before the lunch today. The umpires re-inspected the field at 1430 hours local time and decided that they would have to call off today’s play completely.
Even yesterday, 22 overs were lost due to wet outfield and inclement weather.
The Sri Lankan team must be very disappointed with today’s turnout of events. They had completely outclassed the Indian bowling on day one of the match. Till the end of yesterday’s play Sri Lanka had scored 256 runs at the loss two wickets. Opening batsmen Tharanga Paranavitana was batting on 110 runs and Mahela Jayawardene was batting on eight.
It is not the first time that a series has been affected by rain during these months in Sri Lanka. Earlier, in June a match between Sri Lanka and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 and Sri Lanka was played in July, and was also affected by these monsoon rains.
Two years back, when Indian team visited http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 had visited Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI series, a match was abandoned due to rain.
Rain in the months of July and August is not unusual in the sub-continent. It seems that the Sri Lankan cricket board hasn’t learned many lessons from the past experience and is not careful about the match schedule. What is worse is that heavy downpour has been expected for the next five days in Sri Lanka. Thus the chances of play tomorrow or over the next three days of the game are also slim.
A draw is maybe the best result that Indian team could hope for after yesterday’s disappointing performance. After a feeble bowling spell, a further embarassment may be avoided due to these rains.
However, the Sri Lankan team must be utterly disappointed with today’s events. They had had stronghold on the game on the first day itself and were hoping to challenge India with a big score. Two of its batsmen, captain Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga Paranvitana had made a century and the team would hope that their efforts are not washed off in vain.
Before the start of the series, Indian captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820 and his Sri Lankan counter part Kumar Sangakkara had promised the spectators that they would make every possible effort for an action-packed series and avoid draws. However, in the present circumstances draw seems to be the only viable option an for no fault of the captains!
If the sky clears tomorrow morning, Sri Lanka could try and get to around 500 and then declare the innings post the tea session. Whether they will be able to dismiss the strong Indian batting twice over, in a matter of two and a half days is a question-mark.
The Sri Lankan phenomenal bowler Muttiah Murlitharan, who would make his exit from Test cricket after this match will obviously hope that he gets his chance to bowl and try and achieve the record of 800 wickets in the Test cricket. But his greatest obstacle to doing so might not be the Indian batting, but rather the Sri Lankan weather.
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