In the eagerly awaited Super Four clash between archof the Asia Cup, rain has forced the match between arch-rivals Pakistan and India to continue on the reserve day, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

India will resume at 147-2 on Monday in the 50-over contest, after rain disrupted their innings following Pakistan's decision to bowl first in Colombo.

The match faced an unexpected pause earlier when rain made its presence felt, compelling officials to halt the game.

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the Super Four mega clash being played in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

India got off to a good start by scoring 147 for 2 in 24.1 overs. The opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubam Gill provided a solid start to India by amassing 121 runs at the run rate of 7.76.

India lost their first wicket in the 17th over as skipper Rohit Sharma was sent back to the pavilion after scoring 56 runs off 49 balls.

India’s Shubman Gill fell to Shaheen Afridi in the 18th over soon after his opening partner Rohit Sharma was caught in the previous one. He scored 58 runs.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were at the crease when the match was stopped due to rain.

https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1700796987099259205

It is to be noted here that this is the second time these two teams are meeting in this tournament, with their previous encounter being disrupted due to rain. The first Pak-India match in the Asia Cup 2023 ended in no result at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium.

There is a reserve day now for this game - the only match apart from the final to have that luxury.

The cricket board announced that if inclement weather disrupts play, the match will resume on September 11 (tomorrow) from where it left off. Ticket holders have been urged to retain their tickets, as they will remain valid for the reserve day.

Playing IXs:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Weather forecast

The weather in Colombo has been unpredictable in the past few days, with a significant risk of rain interrupting the game.

https://twitter.com/ACCMedia1/status/1700769328290054621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1700769328290054621%7Ctwgr%5Eab0dd0c151497f58ed39997189793c2e4bfea79d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1775101

Despite a bright and sunny morning today, there is still a forecast for thunderstorms in the evening. The chances of rainfall at different hours throughout the day are as follows:

• 1:30 pm: 100%
• 3:30 pm: 100%
• 5:30 pm: 90%

https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1700796511867838940

However, cricket fans remain hopeful as the showers that were forecast around the same time yesterday never made an appearance and the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh game went on uninterrupted.

https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1700775463197745578

What happens if the match is stopped by rain?

In case the encounter between India and Pakistan is washed out due to rain, both teams will share the spoils and be awarded one point each.

Team form and line-ups

Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, comes into this match with an impressive form guide (WWWWW), having won their last five completed ODIs. The team line-up includes Shadab Khan (vc), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf.

https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1700502834738036862

On the other hand, India, captained by Rohit Sharma, has had a mixed run (WWLWL) in their last five completed ODIs. The probable line-up for India includes Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Siraj.

Pitch report: R. Premadasa Stadium

The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is renowned for its spin-friendly conditions, which can sometimes slow the game down. However, the thrill of an Pakistan vs India match is sure to keep the excitement alive. The average score here is around 250, suggesting a need for patience from the batsmen in the first innings. Given the conditions, batting first after winning the toss could be a strategic move.

Despite an 80% chance of rain in Colombo, the pitch usually starts off slow and then becomes more conducive for batting. Considering the likelihood of rain, teams might opt to bat first and play aggressively to gain an advantage via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

A look back at the group stage

Both Pakistan and India qualified from Group A by winning their respective matches against Nepal while their head-to-head clash got washed out due to rain. The first match between these two teams had been rained out in Pallekele. On that occasion, India were dismissed for 266 in 48.5 overs. Pakistan could not begin their chase because of the weather.

A high-stakes encounter

This match holds high stakes for both teams as they look to secure a spot in the final of the Asia Cup. Despite the looming threat of rain interruption, both teams will be eager to put on a strong performance and secure a win.

https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1700796053837250586