The mother of all cricketing rivalry – India vs Pakistan – is likely to be washed out, as Melbourne, the city playing host to this fixture, will be going through an intense wet spell from 21st October. There’s more than a 90% chance of rain on 21 October and slips down to only 65% on 23 October when the match is supposed to be played.

After enduring a humiliating ten-wicket defeat in the last year’s World Cup, India must have been looking to balance the accounts, but the weather forecast seems to be the biggest hurdle in their quest.

La Nina – a weather pattern associated with extreme rainfalls – is underway in Australia or the third consecutive year. It looks highly unlikely that a full-fledged match is played in any of the fixtures scheduled this weekend.

The tickets for this match were sold out in minutes, and even if the match begins, it’s unlikely to be a full 20-overs-per-side game. Disappointed with this development, fans are already asking the organizers to shift the venue. Many want the game to be shifted to the nearby Dockland Stadium, as its retractable roof will ensure that the match happens without any interruption.

“90% chance of rain for the #INDvPAK #T20WorldCup game on Sunday . ICC will surely pull out all stops to ensure that there are at least 5 over game. The forecast doesn’t look good…maybe shift the game to Dockland Stadium with the retractable roof,” wrote one user.

However, the stadium has never hosted any international or first-class match before. There are no extra days reserved for Super 12 clashes if they get washed out due to rain. Both teams will have to be content with sharing the points in such cases.

Earlier this week, India’s last practice game ahead of the main event, against New Zealand, was also washed out. In the Asia Cup, both India and Pakistan walked out with a victory each. If they reach the semi-finals and win their respective matches, they will meet again in the final.

Lead Image: BCCI/Twitter