India vs South Africa, 5th T20I: Weather forecast for the series decider

Cricket fans are waiting for the much-anticipated final clash of the ongoing 5-match series between India and South Africa at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 19 (Sunday).

Both the sides have played exceptional cricket so far, with the series currently tied at 2-2. While the visitors won the first two games, the hosts registered victory in the next two matches to level the series.

However, the bad news for fans is that the high-voltage contest could be marred by the weather, with rain expected to play spoilsport on Sunday evening. According to Weather.com, there is a 76% chance of rainfall during the game, which could lead to a stop-start affair. Similarly, AccuWeather forecasts 53% of rain during the day and 34% at night, with a cloud cover of 99% for the most part of the day.

The temperature will range between 20 and 26°C while the wind will be flowing from the west at 10-15 kmph. Similarly, humidity shall be between 79-91%. Further, as per the weather forecast, there is a high chance of thunderstorms just a few hours ahead of the start of play, which might delay the toss or the start time of the match, which is scheduled to begin at 7 pm IST.

Notably, at least five overs-a-side could decide the winner of the match as well as the series. In case the match gets interrupted due to the rain, the following rules will be implemented:

• 16.4.1.1 – If due to suspension of play after the start of the match, the number of overs in the innings of either team has to be revised to a lesser number than originally allotted (minimum of 5 overs), then a revised target score (to win) should be set for the number of overs which the team batting second will have the opportunity of facing. This revised target is to be calculated using DLS. The target set will always be a whole number, and one run less will constitute a Tie.
• 16.4.2.1 – If the innings of the side batting second is suspended (with at least five overs bowled) and the match can’t be resumed, the match will be decided by comparison with the DLS ‘Par Score’ determined at the instant of the suspension using DLS. If the score equals the par score, the match is a Tie. Otherwise, the result is a victory, or defeat, by the margin of runs by which the score exceeds, or falls short of, the Par Score.

The good thing, however, is that the drainage system at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium is quite excellent, and it might save the match from getting cancelled. But, the probability for a full 40-over game is very less; therefore, the Duckworth-Lewis method is most likely to come into play.