India vs England, 4th Test: Rainy build up in Manchester as series reaches a tipping point

Indian team during the 3rd Test at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London. (Courtesy: Reuters file photo)

Rain has started to play spoilsport with this Test match it seems. Practice sessions washed out, grounds wet, and all of a sudden fans asking the question why isn’t there a reserve day? More so when in the UK where the rain is a constant in some places like Manchester.

Having come to the UK exactly around this time every year over the last 20 years (except the Covid years), I can say that continuous rain is an aberration in recent times. You can’t plan for weather and this wet spell has come as a dampener for everyone -fans, organisers, broadcasters and journalists who were all enthralled by the quality of cricket on offer in this series.

We in India believe rains cause indefinite delays in traffic and roads become impossible to negotiate if there is a downpour. Manchester, for the record, is no different. The city centre, arguably, is the worst hit with traffic delays throwing things into a tizzy. A journey to Curry mile, which is expected to take 10 minutes, is taking close to 30 minutes by car on account of traffic build ups.

Inclement weather has brought to the fore key questions- should India pick a team based on what the predictions are for the next five days? Does that bring Shardul Thakur into the equation? Will Washington Sundar miss out and Sai Sudarshan make it back as a batter?

Fans, some of who I have interacted with, just want to see some action. A family, which has saved up for the last year and a half to come to the UK and see the series, says, “This is like a pilgrimage to us. We have saved every penny we could have to come and see the two teams play quality Test cricket. Now if we have to see rain and a covered ground, it is like our worst nightmare coming true”, says one of them.

England, unfortunately, isn’t equipped to tackle severe weather. Just like North Kolkata where I come from, things go out of hand when it rains all day. Add the severe wind to it and there is nothing left of the English summer to soak in and enjoy.

Looking ahead, not all is bleak and gloomy. While the build up has been all rain, match days are expected to see better weather and that should help get a result and help India push for a 2-2 scoreline going to the Oval. The prediction isn’t as bad and fans from all over the UK are expected to make it to Old Trafford this morning. One fan from Birmingham said it best, “The collective wishes from all of us will make the rain gods feel guilty if they want to influence the game. Even gods won’t want to take a chance with this particular match.”

I can only hope he is right. For the moment though all we can do is play the wait and watch game. It has been a fantastic series so far and it deserves a real good finale. And yes Shubman Gill has fired the salvo saying England isn’t playing within the spirit of the game! As I round off this piece, I can once again see the Accu weather warning. Rain predicted on some days but may be not all day. Trust me it isn’t a good feeling when the all important fourth Test is at the mercy of the weather.

Here is my Indian team for the game- Jaiswal, Rahul, Karun, Gill, Pant, Sai Sudarshan, Jadeja, Shardul, Kamboj, Siraj and Bumrah