NEW DELHI: As India head into the final day of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, all eyes are not just on the batters but also on the skies. With India still trailing by 137 runs and eight wickets in hand, the weather forecast could play a decisive role in determining whether they walk away with a draw or face a crushing defeat.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!According to the UK Met Office, Day 5 in Manchester is expected to start with cloudy conditions transitioning into light rain by late morning. The temperature will hover between a chilly 14°C to 18°C.
The forecast predicts an 80% chance of rain in the morning session, dropping slightly to 70% in the afternoon. Encouragingly for England but worryingly for India, the likelihood of rain further reduces to 50% by tea and 30% by stumps, raising the chances of enough overs being bowled to force a result.
For India, who resumed their second innings at 174/2 with KL Rahul (87*) and captain Shubman Gill (78*) still unbeaten, rain could be both a saviour and a spoiler. Prolonged showers might wipe out entire sessions and aid India’s bid for a draw.
However, intermittent rain breaks — the more likely scenario — could break the batters' rhythm and create stop-start conditions that assist England's pace attack with a relatively fresh second new ball due in 17 overs.
On Day 4, Gill and Rahul stitched together a gritty 174-run partnership after India were reduced to 0/2 in the first over, countering a 311-run first-innings deficit. Their effort gave India a glimmer of hope in a match that seemed lost.
Still trailing in the five-match series 1-2, India will need either divine help from the clouds or another monumental batting effort to avoid a defeat that would hand England the series.
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