BANGALORE
The forecast was not good at the end of the truncated fourth day, and thatforecast proved to be totally accurate on the fifth and final morning. There washeavy rain through the night, and then more rain during the morning. The loss ofso much time to the weather meant that a positive result was unlikely and, withrain falling as the officials made a mid-morning inspection, it was agreed thatthe match should be abandoned as a draw.
It was a damp and dismal end to a series that India won 1-0 thanks to theircomprehensive win in the first Test at Mohali. It could be argued that Englandhad the better of the draw in Ahmedabad, and were certainly in control inBangalore when the unseasonable rains intervened.
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That will be of little consolation to the England party as the team preparesto head for home for the Christmas period before returning to India in Januaryfor a series of five one-day internationals.
In the meantime, after their drubbing in South Africa, the series win heremight buy a little time for Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright.There is no doubt that both are under pressure and performances in the secondand third Tests will have done little to underpin their positions.
England, on the other hand, will have taken heart from the way an alreadyunder-strength side re-grouped after the defeat at Mohali and started to give agood account of themselves. Several players enhanced their reputations and willhave made it more difficult for those who did not make the trip, for whateverreason, just to walk back into the team.
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All that was far from everybody's mind when they arrived at the ground thismorning. The objective then was to get a full day's play in. However, there wasno chance of a prompt start and no prospect of an improvement in conditions.
The already sodden outfield could not take any more of the steady rain andthe inspection was no more than a formality. As ICC match referee Denis Lindsaypointed out, there is nothing worse than sitting around in a wet cricket groundwhen it was obvious that there could be no meaningful play and so the rightdecision was made.
India can look forward to two Tests at home against Zimbabwe before headingoff to the Caribbean. England's next Test encounters will be in New Zealand.
