BRISBANE, Feb 5: The second match in the triangular One-day International cricket series was abandoned here on Tuesday when heavy rain meant Sri Lanka were unable to take the field in pursuit of India’s total of 267 for four.

The rain started as players left the field after India’s innings and did not stop, ensuring Tuesday’s match suffered the same fate as Sunday’s tri series opener between Australia and India here.

Earlier a magnificent century from Gautam Gambhir and an unbeaten 88 from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led an Indian recovery.

India finished on 267 after at one stage slumping to 83-4, losing three wickets for just three runs.

Gambhir made an unbeaten 102 from 101 balls and Dhoni 88 from 95 deliveries with a mixture of aggressive stroke play and delightful touches to frustrate the Sri Lankans, who at one stage were eyeing an Indian total of less than 220.

Gambhir brought up his century in the last over of the innings when Dhoni stole a quick single to get him on strike.

But he said he was never thinking of the triple figures.

“A century was never on my mind – it was more important that the team should win,” Gambhir said. “That’s what I told Dhoni – it was more important that he hits the ball well (than getting me on strike).”

Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat, but with the match starting in high humidity and overcast skies his decision appeared to be a gamble.

But the ball didn’t swing early on and Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were untroubled as they took the score to 68.

Tendulkar brought up a remarkable milestone when he snatched a quick single from the bowling of Chaminda Vaas to move to 28 and bring up his 16,000th run in One-day Internationals.

“He’s a legend – he’s the greatest batsman India has ever produced,” Gambhir said. “To get 16,000 runs in one-day cricket – it’s just incredible. Only a genius can do these things, and he’s a genius.”

But on 35 Lasith Malinga got the vital breakthrough when Tendulkar chopped the ball onto his stumps.

Sehwag (33) was out shortly after when he gloved a ball down the leg side to wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara, giving an impressive Ishara Amerasinghe his first wicket in One-day Internationals in his second match.

Sangakkara will be rueing a crucial miss when he dropped Gambhir off Amerasinghe when the Indian had scored only 11, spilling a difficult diving chance in front of first slip.

Sri Lanka replaced an out-of-sorts Vaas with celebrated off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and enjoyed immediate dividends when he struck twice, dismissing Yuvraj Singh (2) caught at first slip and two balls later Rohit Sharma for a duck caught behind.Sharma risked attracting the wrath of the referee when he stood his ground, visibly upset with the decision by umpire Rudi Koertzen.

After weathering the storm, Dhoni and Gambhir exploded in the last 10 overs and smashed the ball to all parts of the large Gabba ground.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

V. Sehwag c Sangakkara b Amerasinghe 33

S.R. Tendulkar b Malinga 35

G. Gambhir not out 102

Yuvraj Singh c Jayawardene b Murali 2

R.G. Sharma c Sangakkara b Murali 0

M.S. Dhoni not out 88

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-4) 7

TOTAL (for four wkts, 50 overs) 267

FALL OF WKTS: 1-68, 2-80, 3-83, 4-83.

DID NOT BAT: R.V. Uthappa, I.K. Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, S. Sreesanth, I. Sharma.

BOWLING: Vaas 10-0-72-0 (1w); Malinga 10-1-56-1 (1w); Amerasinghe 10-2-30-1; Muralitharan 10-0-51-2 (1w); Kapugedera 6-0-23-0 (1w); Dilshan 1-0-8-0; Jayasuriya 3-0-24-0.

SRI LANKA: W.U. Tharanga, S.T. Jayasuriya, K.C. Sangakkara, D.P.M.D. Jayawardene, L.P.C. Silva, T.M. Dilshan, C.K. Kapugedera, W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, S.L. Malinga, M. Muralitharan, M.K.D.I. Amerasinghe.

RESULT: Match abandoned because of rain.

UMPIRES: S.J. Davis (Australia) and R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

NEXT MATCH: Australia v Sri Lanka at Sydney (D/N) on Friday.—AFP