At Nagpur, November 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Drawn. Toss: India.

Rain, which announced its presence after just one over, eventually wiped out the final two days and two sessions, limiting action to the 155 overs in which India had convincingly accumulated 485.

Soon after the first interruption, Mongia slapped Pushpakumara, recalled by Sri Lanka, to backward point. But Sidhu and Dravid consolidated, despite the loss of nearly three hours to persistent showers, to build a confident century stand. Sidhu followed up his hundred in the First Test with an aggressive 79. Despite another failure for Tendulkar, India's top order seized the initiative on a sunny second day with some bright strokeplay. Dravid and Azharuddin added 90 for the fourth wicket before Dravid fell eight short of a second Test hundred; like Sidhu, he mis-hit a pull at left-armer Vaas to be caught at backward square leg. Azharuddin scored his second successive fifty but was undone by a fast in-swinger from the pacy Pushpakumara.

Ganguly batted with the confidence back-to-back centuries in Colombo and Mohali had given him. He drove through the off side with his usual flourish and, in partnership with Kumble, took India past 400 just before the second-day close. Their stand realised 159 before Kumble was ruled run out by third umpire Godbole, despite evidence indicating the batsman's desperate dive had got him home. That dismissal sparked a late collapse, five wickets falling for 23 runs. Ganguly was one away from his third hundred in successive Tests when he edged Pushpakumara to the solitary wide slip. His 99 was spiced with 13 boundaries and had lasted five and a quarter hours. Coincidentally, a few minutes later and 6,000 miles away, Greg Blewett was also out for 99 in the Hobart Test. Even as Pushpakumara completed his third five-wicket haul in Tests, the skies darkened and the rain began its ultimate intervention.

Close of play: First day, India 133-1 (N. S. Sidhu 64*, R. Dravid 47*); Second day, India 401-5 (S. C. Ganguly 67*, A. Kumble 42*); Third day, India 485; Fourth day, No play.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd