Ganguly fights in rainy Melbourne

Indians 3 for 110 (Ganguly 51*, Dravid 33*, Wise 3-22) v Victoria
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Torrential rain limited the first day of India's warm-up match against Victoria to one session, in which Sourav Ganguly survived some early wobbles to score a half-century and Rahul Dravid settled into the opening role. The rest of India's top order struggled against Victoria's fringe fast bowler Allan Wise before the Junction Oval was flooded by a sudden downpour that started as the players left the ground for tea.

The rain was so heavy that the ground began to resemble a rice paddy, then as the showers became heavier it was more like a small lake. The groundstaff will face a major battle to have the field ready for play on Friday and, with further thunderstorms predicted for the next two days, India will have limited preparation in their only practice match ahead of the Boxing Day Test.

At the close the Indians were 3 for 110 with Dravid grafting a typically determined 33 and Ganguly on 51. The pair added an unbeaten 72 for the fourth wicket in the two-and-a-half hour post-lunch period after the first session had also been lost to rain.

Wise, Victoria's tall left-arm fast bowler, did the damage with all three wickets, continuing his strong record against visiting international teams. Wise collected 5 for 25 in a one-day warm-up game against Sri Lanka in 2005-06, but has been overlooked for all but two of Victoria's Pura Cup matches this season.

He frustrated the vocal contingent of Melbourne-based Indian fans that dominated the crowd by removing Sachin Tendulkar, who hinted at a special innings but delivered only a cameo. A couple of well-timed drives against Peter Siddle failed to reach the boundary due to the slow outfield before Tendulkar gently leaned on a cover drive that went for four off Wise.

The highlight was when the 200-centimetre Wise banged in a shortish ball that might have tickled the ribcage of a lesser batsman, but Tendulkar quickly positioned himself to lift it high over midwicket for six. Wise's revenge came as Tendulkar tried to cut and inside-edged the ball - it should have been called a no-ball for over-stepping - onto his stumps for 19.

That was the major reward for Wise in an effective opening spell that netted 3 for 20. In Wise's first over, Wasim Jaffer miscued an attempted pull and was caught at mid-off for 0 by Victoria's debutant Aaron Finch. Wise extracted some good seam movement and in his next over had VVS Laxman caught behind down the leg side for 1.

India were 3 for 38 and it could have been 4 for 39 when Ganguly got a thick edge off Siddle that flew marginally wide of the gully fielder. Ganguly was tentative early but gradually adjusted to the conditions and struck consecutive fours off Bryce McGain's legspin, the first lifted over midwicket and the second cut hard forward of square.

Ganguly reached his half-century from 86 balls just before tea. Dravid was watchful early as his partners struggled, cutting and cover driving his only two boundaries off Siddle, who bowled a mixed spell.

India's innings did not begin swimmingly but their players nearly ended up swimming, as the rain bucketed down on the Junction Oval with Melbourne enduring a heavy thunderstorm in the morning. The start was delayed by two-and-a-half hours and when Mahendra Singh Dhoni went out for the late toss it became apparent India had sprung a surprise.

For all the talk of Australia perhaps using a four-man pace attack in the first Test, it was India who decided to leave out their spinners for the warm-up game. Anil Kumble was rested and Dhoni duly won the toss and chose to bat when the umpires eventually determined play could get under way. The second day is scheduled to begin half an hour early, if the weather turns favourable.