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Could it have been fortune favouring the English squad, or merely the inevitability of scheduling a cricket tournament during monsoon season?

Either way, the English team narrowly escaped versus their Pakistani opponents this past Wednesday - in a major way.

They were three wins from three, smoothly progressing through their initial pool matches with just winless Pakistan standing in their way to entering crucial encounters versus Indian and Australian teams without a loss.

This should have represented straightforward progress: The English team has historically lost just one match against Pakistan, in a T20 in 2013, and not once in the 50-over format.

However, rather than carrying forward their winning form into those two big games against the tournament favourites, they have been jolted through a startling reality check.

England were thoroughly outplayed during twenty-five overs before the first bout of rain fell in Colombo, collapsing to seventy-nine for seven while Pakistani fast bowlers skillfully exploited a helpful but not unplayable surface, followed by spin bowlers taking over on England's fragile middle order.

Subsequently, precipitation unfairly prevented Pakistan a famous win once the weather improved providing sixty minutes of opportunity and enough time to reach 34-0 chasing 113 runs, The English team's relieved expressions juxtaposed by captain Fatima Sana's despondence while the Colombo playing field flooded.

This was England's lucky escape leaving them no option except to absorb its lessons.

Moving forward, it's improbable to get away with another.

Pakistani Team Reveals Obvious Vulnerability

This tournament's fixture list is tricky. Looking at England specifically, the squad is competing in their preliminary matches at four separate locations, all providing varying playing conditions which essentially requires learning on the job.

Against Sri Lanka just four days ago, the English played on a distinct pitch but one which offered spin and lift with minimal assistance for fast bowlers. This one was different, and England's batters did not adapt quickly enough to its characteristics.

Pakistan had clear plans and implemented them effectively, consistently testing England's fragile defences by nipping the ball toward right-handed batters.

Diana Baig's successful delivery of Tammy Beaumont jagged back off the seam, the opening batter attempting a dramatic non-shot just to witness her off-stump being disturbed.

Nat Sciver-Brunt's wicket deviated two and a half degrees from the surface, comparable to the turn you would expect from off-spin bowling, with the English captain's response with open arms and a look of disbelief said it all - they probably had not prepared for or anticipated such conditions.

Amy Jones was also bowled to Fatima's bowling, that delivery deviating two degrees from the surface, and the ball shaped one point six degrees resulting in Heather Knight's leg-before decision.

It was the first time across all cricket formats where England's top seven batters had all been bowled or lbw since early twentieth century, testament to Pakistan's discipline aiming consistently at the wickets.

Following England's reduced thirty-one over innings, the batting side encountered 61 balls which would have hit the stumps. They surrendered eight batters to these deliveries and scored just 23 runs.

Image source: Cricket Analytics/Broadcast

India and Australia Await Their Turn

The English squad journeys to Indore for their upcoming two matches to face their most challenging rivals against India this Sunday, and Australia on 22 October.

Both represent difficult opposition to be facing with batting weaknesses needing correction however the local pitches are anticipated as more even and favorable to batters.

It was Knight's gritty determination that saved the team against Bangladesh and Nat Sciver-Brunt's quality ensured they posted a competitive score against Sri Lanka, yet when both departed quickly facing Pakistan, England could not recover.

{"The English captain and vice-captain have scored more runs collectively compared to their teammates total at this tournament," World Cup winner Alex Hartley said on broadcast coverage. "That says something within itself, and neither of them batted during the opening game. That represents a worry."

Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones have faced difficulties against the swinging ball - partnerships of six, twenty-four and thirteen after pursuing only seventy runs in the opener against South Africa - but Charlotte Edwards' first move in charge was to show faith and re-promote Jones, and it feels unlikely she'll separate the combination.

Following the top two batters, the team's third-most productive player has been Charlie Dean at number eight with a steady 27 not out in a tense chase against Bangladesh, a useful nineteen against Sri Lanka and she led scoring with thirty-three against Pakistan.

There have been glimpses of promise from Alice Capsey batting seventh however Sophia Dunkley and Emma Lamb face difficulties beginning their innings against spin in the middle order.

Lamb has 18 runs across three batting attempts while Sophia Dunkley managed twenty-nine, both losing their wickets to spin, with the former being asked to play an unfamiliar role.

When batting in the top three, Lamb maintains a forty-four average over sixty-one innings including five hundreds. These current three performances represent her initial experience at number six professionally in the 50-over format.

Danielle Wyatt-Hodge represents England's unused batter on the bench, having previously batted in middle positions for a number of years, so it will be interesting to see how long the Lamb trial persists.

The English team might have avoided an embarrassing slip-up here, yet remains conscious things are not going to get any easier.

Indian and Australian teams wait. Any wobbles against those two could see England's tournament rapidly deteriorate.