Rain threat looms large on Day 5 of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo. India find themselves in a commanding position ahead of Day 5; however, the weather does not look great for the day, with heavy rain expected throughout the day.
Sri Lanka lead India by a mere 16 runs, and they are six wickets down. If the day stays clear and India are able to bowl most of the overs, they’ll be in a prime position to win the game and the series; however, all will depend on how the weather holds up. But the current forecast doesn’t present a great picture.
India have outplayed so far in the series. After winning the first Test by 165 runs, India have been as dominant in the second Test. They scored 503 in the first innings, courtesy of Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel’s centuries, and bowled out Sri Lanka for 290 after enforcing the follow-on. For Sri Lanka, Sonal Dinusha, who had a fantastic outing in the first Test, scoring a century and a fifty in two innings, remains the key. He has shown in the previous test that he can hang around and frustrate the Indian bowlers. The more runs Sri Lanka score on Day 5, with the weather around, the more it will get tougher for India to win.
How A Draw Will Effect The WTC Final Race
India are placed fifth on the (WTC) table with a points percentage (PCT) of 53.33. If the Test is drawn, the PCT will drop to 51.52. The result won’t knock India out of the WTC race, but with two tough series against New Zealand and Australia lined up, India are hoping to win the matches they are expected to win. They have done well to reach a position where they can sweep the series 2-0; however, if the weather doesn’t allow them to win a crucial game after coming so close, it’ll be a setback to their WTC hopes.