Play called off due to rain

Day 3 abandoned India 384 for 6 (Tendulkar 101, Ganguly 100) v Bangladesh
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan work out on the treadmill as play was washed out © AFP

If the second day's play was a disappointment the third was an utter washout, literally and figuratively. Heavy overnight rains and persistent morning showers meant that the umpires, Daryl Harper and Billy Doctrove, had a relatively easy decision on their hands. The weather did not even give the groundstaff a chance to attempt to get the field ready for play, and at 11.15am local time it was decided that there would be no chance of any play on the day.

When play was called off without a single ball being bowled on the third day India were sitting pretty at 384 for 6 after Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly had posted centuries. As the second day drew to a close India had begun the hunt for quick runs with Mahendra Singh Dhoni leading the charge, batting on 36 from only 35 balls with six boundaries. On the second day itself 288 minutes of play were lost to rain, reducing the chances of getting a meaningful result from this match.

With the whole of the third day washed out, and the forecast not looking especially good for the two days to come, it seems like this Test is destined for a draw. One team will have to play out of its skin, and the other miserably, for there to be any chance of a decisive result. Even the most optimistic of fans may have to reconcile themselves to the fact that this match as a contest is, for all practical purposes, finished. What's left is to relish some good individual performances, provided the rain gods permit.