Rawalpindi Test: Overnight rain washes out play on day four

RAWALPINDI: Overnight and early Saturday’s showers resulted in complete wash out as not single ball was bowled on the fourth day of the rain-married first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Pindi Stadium.

For the first time in four days, both team members were asked to stay back at the hotels till the time both filed umpires Richard Kettleborough (Eng) and Michael Gough (Eng) decide on the resumption of play. That resumption however was never there on Saturday, the worst day so far in the on-going Test. The ground had gone so soggy with the continuous overnight downpour that the umpires finally decided to call off day’s play at around 12 noon.

Covers were given the impression of a pound as so heavy was the overnight and early morning downpour. Though the grounds men did try to clear off water from covers but more rain curtailed their job mid day when umpires decided to call off day’s play. Sri Lanka fetched only 19 runs on third day Friday where only 5.2 overs play was possible and are placed at 282 for 6 in what looked like a never ending first innings that now goes into the fifth day Sunday. Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-58) and Naseem Shah (2-83) were the two bowlers used by Azhar Ali on a low-light day Friday without any luck.

Dhananjaya de Silva (87 not out) and Dilruwan Perera (6 not out) were at the crease going into last day of the Test. In all 261.5 overs play has so far been lost to bad weather, making result almost impossible now during possible 90 overs and that too if weather permits. Considering the weather forecast, full last day’s play Sunday also looks highly unlikely.