India Blue vs India Red, Final at Chennai, , Oct 04 2006 - Ball by Ball Commentary

Umpires call the covers on. Enough is enough. Kartik rushes off with his team-mates.

It's Chennai and it must be rain. When is the last time you remember an important match not ruined by rain? Blame the scheduling I say. Great ground, poor timing

Match State: Delay - Rain

Cricinfo sources tell us that the rain is getting heavy. Chances of the game resuming are diminishing. Chennai might do it again. India v Sri Lanka last year, India v South Africa (ODI) before that, India v Aus in 2004, India v New Zealand (ODI) in 2003

It's the Chepauk curse I tell you. A pity because it's the ground where India won their first ever Test. It's also a venue that saw the second tied Test in history and several other historic games.

The Chennai sky is still leaking. Siddhartha Vaidyanathan has fled and asked me, Sriram Veera, to describe the rain. I turned to google, A search for Chepauk + rain throws up lots of wet pages.

Amidst the rain-soaked reports I find a gem. Written by Phil Long, for BBC, on how rain at chepauk helps the rickshawdrivers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/3754818.stm. Check out.

UPDATE: 6.25pm. Good news: Rain has stopped. Bad news: Covers are still on. News, could be good or bad : There will be an inspection at 6.30 pm.

Update: 6.52pm It has started to rain again. If you are in Chennai you can opt for rain-water harvesting, others can read a piece ontthe possible entry ofthe overseas cricketers in Indian domestic by Sidharth Monga

Please check out http://content.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/261161.html. Watch this space for more updates from Chennai.

Update:7.40pm. Rain continues to play hide and seek. It has stopped now but dark clouds hover around the arena, the covers are still on, water on the outfield, and so play looks highly unlikely. BUT no official word as yet. So we have to wait.

Update: 7.45pm. The match has been called off. Weather has had the final say. The Chennai curse has brought down the curtains on the 2006 Challenger series. Goodbye and goodluck. Ta.

Umpires confer and continue to carry on

The groundsmen are ready. They know that games that get interesting in Chennai are invariably ruined by rain (recently at least). Remember the Australia Test in 2004? Yes yes, it's getting heavier

Slight drizzle has begun

I can eat my words for dinner. I'm used to it. Tastes brilliant

Chennai erupts again. Dhoni arrives

India Red's over-rate is an absymal 12 overs per hour. It means the dinner break will be shortened. It also means the bowlers will not get dessert

But they can have a drink now. Break time

Match State: Drinks

Rain is in the air. The groundsmen are expecting showers and ready with the covers. Is this game going to be ruined?

VRV pushes the fine leg back, brings the square leg in

VRV asking his third man to go a bit finer