India vs Pakistan Highlights: Game moved to reserve day as rain returns

Pakistan retain last match's playing XI vs India

Babar Azam (Captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.

Can India douse Pak pace fire?

Even as a horde of Special Task Force members circled the outdoor nets at the R Premadasa stadium while gripping their semi-automatic machine guns perilously tight and their eyes designed to catch any and all anomalies, the Pakistan cricket team went about its practice session as if children at a playground. 

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Not facing Pakistani bowlers enough makes difference at big events: Gill

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Moisture underneath the grass will give bowlers something, Waqar Younis says on air regarding the pitch

Pakistan win toss, opt to bowl first

Rohit Sharma says he was looking to bat first only and the toss does not matter now.

KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah back in India's XI

Wasim Akram on air reckons 265-270 would be par score for this pitch

Rohit, Gill open for India; Shaheen to begin bowling for Pakistan

India 6-0 after 1st over

0.1 Rohit defends first ball as Shaheen goes full

0.2 Rohit defends another fuller delivery

0.3 Rohit leaves

0.4 On the pads from Shaheen; another dot

0.5 Full and swinging in; Rohit defends to mid off

0.6 On the pads and flicked for six by Rohit

Naseem Shah to bowl second over

1.1 1 run for Gill as leading edge does not carry to third man

1.2 Rohit defends

1.3 Rohit leaves

1.4 Rohit leaves again

1.5 Rohit slams a boundary over extra cover

1.6 Good length from Naseem, defended

India 11-0 after 2

Third over begins with two boundaries

2.1 Four for Gill as Shaheen strays on pads

2.2 Another four for Gill

2.3 Gill defends

2.4 Full from Shaheen and defended by Gill

2.5 Third boundary of the over from Gill

2.6 Dot ball

India off to a flyer; 23/0 after 3 overs

Naseem troubles Rohit in fourth over; India 24/0

Some close calls and a review wasted by Pakistan as Rohit survives a threatening over from Naseem.

Shaheen's fifth over goes for 12; India 37/0

4.2 Gill finds another boundary as he lofts Shaheen over mid on.

4.5 Another four from Gill

4.6 Gill finishes over with another boundary

Gill races to 25 off 13.

Naseem continues to trouble Rohit; bowls a maiden

Beautiful bowling from Naseem but Rohit bats cautiously as over results in a maiden.

Medium pacer Faheem Ashraf to bowl the 7th over

Ashraf begins with four good balls as Gill defends all of them for dot balls.

A single on the fifth bowl by Gill and Rohit defends the last ball.

India 38/0 after 7

Gill welcomes Naseem with a boundary in 8th over

7.1 Gill welcomes Naseem with a boundary in 8th over

7.3 Another boundary; this time off an edge as the ball flies past the slip cordon

A single of the last ball; India 47/0 after 8

Here's a clip of the first 6 of the game

Gill brings up fifty partnership with a four

India 53/0 after 9 overs with Shubman Gill moving to 41 of just 30 balls.

India 61/0 after 10 overs

Rohit Sharma struggles against Naseem Shah for first two balls but hits him for four on third as Naseem strays on his pads.

Another boundary on the fourth ball as Rohit lofts him on leg side.

Naseem finishes the 10th over with two dots.

Gill batting on 41 while Rohit is on 18.

For Pakistan, Naseem Shah has bowled well without luck while Shaheen was not as consistent as usual.

India 69/0 after 11

10.4 Gill flicks on to the fine leg boundary for four.

Four singles and a four for India in the 11th over.

India have so far scored 13 fours and a six.

Haris Rauf comes to bowl the 12th over

11.6 Rohit top edges one over the keeper and gets lucky as India gets another four.

Eight runs of this over, India 77/0

A cracking shot from Shubman Gill

Spinner Shadab Khan to bowl the 13th over

India begin with three singles.

Rohit slams Shadab for two sixes and closes the over with a boundary on the last three balls.

19 runs of Shadab's first over; India 96/0 after 13

Gill reaches to his fifty of just 37 balls

He has 10 fours so far in his innings

100 up for India in just 13.2 overs

India 103/0 after 14

Rohit gets to his fifty of 42 balls

Shadab Khan is bearing the brunt of Rohit's attack as he has gone for 29 runs in his first 8 balls.

12 runs from Shadab's second over. India 115/0 after 15

This is Rohit Sharma's 50th ODI half century

Haris Rauf bowls a tight 16th over conceding only three runs

India are 118/0 after 16 with both Rohit and Gill looking solid.

Pakistani pacers could not keep a lid on the runs and spinner Shadab Khan's poor bowling has kept Pakistan's search for wickets continuing.

Shadab gives Pakistan first wicket, Rohit gone for 56

16.4 Rohit out for 56 as Shadab Khan gives Pakistan their first wicket via a good catch from Faheem Ashraf.

Rohit c Faheem Ashraf b Shadab Khan for 56(49)

India 122/1 after 17

Shaheen brought back for 18th over as Kohli comes to bat

Kohli gets a single after three dot balls

Shaheen sends back Gill for 58; India 124/2 after 18

Shubman Gill c Agha Salman b Shaheen Afridi for 58(52)

Soft dismissal for a well-set Gill as he lobs an easy catch for Agha Salman on extra cover.

Bowling change works for Pakistan as both Indian openers are now back in the pavilion.

KL Rahul joins Kohli in the middle

Shadab continues from the other end

A good over from Shadab with 6 runs from it.

KL Rahul gets his first boundary; India 135/2 after 20

Shaheen bowls a good over but Rahul ensures the scoreboard keeps ticking for India with a boundary.

4 from the over.

Shadab bowls a tight over; India 137/2 after 21

Only two singles of Shadab's fifth over as Rahul, Kohli look to rebuild after openers depart

Haris Rauf bowls the 22nd over

Rohit Sharma had a good time in the middle before he left

A maiden from Shadab; India 140/2 after 23

KL hits his second four

Rahul plays a superb pull shot against a 146kmph Haris Rauf ball for a boundary. He also completes 2000 ODI runs with that shot.

India 146/2 after 24

Haris Rauf keeps his pace up as India look to rebuild after losing both openers in quick succession.

Black clouds are hovering over the stadium and groundsmen are ready with the covers

And... the rain has arrived and it is thundering down in Colombo

Players have run back to the dressing rooms with India at 147/2

Story so far

After India were invited to bat first, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill made a flying start with both notching up their half centuries. However, both of them got out in quick succession to put Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the middle who were batting at 8 and 17 respectively before the rain intervened. For Pakistan, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi are the two wicket takers. Naseem Shah bowled beautifully consistently troubling Rohit Sharma but without luck

Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman helps the ground staff to drag the covers onto the ground

No news on restart yet as we have started losing overs

Rain has stopped but the game continues to be halted due to wet outfield

Ground staff is working hard to remove the wet patch from the outfield to make the conditions better for the restart of the game.

As per ESPNCricinfo, an inspection is scheduled for 7.30 pm which will decide the course of the game.

Meanwhile, Australia climbed back to top of ICC ODI rankings following a win over South Africa on Saturday

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Also, Bangladesh lost their second Super 4 match yesterday and their chances to go to the final shrunk further

Lanka flatten faltering Bangla

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Next inspection scheduled for 8 pm

Second inspection is under way now and the patch in one area of the ground is the bone of contention

Ground covered again as rain returns

Game moves to reserve day as rain returns

The game will resume from the current position with India being at 147/2 in 24.1 overs

Story of Day 1

After India were invited to bat first on what looked like a sunny day in Colombo, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill made a flying start with both notching up their half centuries. However, both of them got out in quick succession to put Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the middle who were batting at 8 and 17 respectively before the rain intervened. For Pakistan, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi were the two wicket-takers.

Even when rain stopped, the wet patches in the outfield held the play. The game was then called off and moved to reserve day as rain returned again as we were nearing a possible restart of the game. That was it for Day 1 keep following DH as we track this encounter tomorrow.