What do rain forecasts say ahead of final day of 4th India-England Manchester Test?

Economic Times

17 hours ago

ANI India-England Test match
With a defiant skipper Shubman Gill and 'Mr Dependable' KL Rahul standing tall at the crease, a great finish awaits cricket fans during the final day of the fourth Manchester Test against England.
With Joe Root and Ben Stokes' massive centuries giving the Three Lions a gigantic 311-run lead over India, which scored 358 in their first innings, the task of achieving a win looks near impossible, with India having scored 174/2, with Gill (78*) and KL (87*) standing strong after the visitors lost two quick wickets for no run.
A draw looks extremely possible and will keep the series alive going into The Oval, with a 1-2 scoreline. Perhaps a miracle could occur if India bats aggressively for the first two sessions, secures a lead and gives England something to chase during the final session. Test is a format filled with uncertainties, thrills, ebbs and flows like no other form of cricket. However, rain could play a spoilsport. However, there are different forecasts, and it is only right to have a look at them.
As per Accuweather, quoted by Wisden, the chances of rain remain low throughout the day, as low as 7%
As per Weather.com, quoted by Wisden, rain is predicted for early hours in the day, during 7 to 8 AM, but the chances go below 5 per cent after that. Finally, as per BBC Weather, the probability of rain stays the highest around noon with 32 per cent. It will remain at 25 per cent throughout the morning. Minimal rainfall is expected in the afternoon hours. While the weather forecast looks extremely promising for the most part, cricket fans would have their fingers crossed that not even a single drop of rain takes place, which could shave off some overs from the match and steal a good finish. Moreover, a considerable amount of rain could make the surface wet and slippery enough to pose a challenge for Indian batters, as the ball could play its trick through a varied bounce and movement.
Out of both teams, it would be the Indian fans who would be hoping for no rain. With the remainder of the batting line-up consisting of an injured Rishabh Pant, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, the road towards overcoming a 311-run lead and taking a big lead later looks extremely difficult for India, which has witnessed its share of batting collapses this series. Fans would be hoping that the sun is out, keeps the pitch decently dry, and makes the ball come nicely on the bat. Earlier in the fourth Day of the Test match, India recovered after initial shocks in their second innings of the fourth Test, but the team is still in deep waters with England scoring a massive 669 in their first innings and getting an overall lead of 311 runs over the visitors, who had made 358 runs in the second innings.Big centuries from Joe Root and skipper Stokes and some extra runs from tailenders proved to be a serious headache for India. The Indian second innings began on a shocking note with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan going back to the pavilion on a duck. KL Rahul and Captain Shubman Gill steadied India's innings with a patient and stellar stand of 174 runs.India finished Day 4 on 174/2 and are now 137 runs behind England. If the Indian team can salvage the match on the fifth and final day on Sunday, it will be an achievement in itself. England went wicketless in the final session as Indian batters added 126 runs to their tally, with KL Rahul 87* and Shubman Gill 78* unbeaten on the crease. India started the third session at 86/2 with Gill, who looked in fine touch, notched up his eighth Test fifty and fourth against England off 77 deliveries.