1st Test: Sedate start by India

The return of Ganguly, forced the team management to leave out inform middle-order batsmen Yuvraj and Kaif.

India compiled a sedate 90 for two on Monday as the Test series opener against Sri Lanka began after three days were washed out.

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Sri Lankan pace bowler Chaminda Vaas (2-15) struck two blows to remove openers Gautam Gambhir (0) and Virender Sehwag (36) before skipper Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar took the Indian team to the close of the fourth day's play without further damage.

Gambhir had his stumps shattered by an inswinger that kept low, while Sehwag struck seven boundaries off 26 deliveries before an uppish cover drive was snapped by Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu, who lost the toss to Dravid.

At stumps, Dravid was batting on 30 and Tendulkar unbeaten on 11.

Wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is making his Test debut for India, which included former captain Sourav Ganguly in its lineup for the match whose fate has been decided by the weather.

Ganguly, 33, was left out of the Indian team for the 12 home one-day internationals against Sri Lanka and South Africa. He also lost the Indian captaincy last month.

The return of Ganguly, India's most successful captain, forced the team management to leave out inform middle-order batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif.

The first delivery of the match was not delivered until the fourth day's evening session, after rain caused by Cyclone Baaz in the Bay of Bengal frustrated the cricketers and underscored poor tour planning by the Indian board.

Umpires Daryl Harper of Australia and Mark Benson from England carried out three inspections of the ground on Monday before deciding that Test match could finally start after tea.

The umpires and match referee Clive Lloyd advised that the boundary rope be pulled in to overcome the problem of wet patches in the outfield, which risked injuries to players.

In recent years, cricket fans in Chennai have repeatedly suffered anguish as officials have continued to schedule international games during the rainy reason. This is the fourth successive match to be disrupted by rains since 2003.

Despite disastrous experiences in the past two years, the Indian cricket board again scheduled two international matches - a one-dayer and this Test - during the monsoon season, which normally continues in the region until the second week of December. The Nov. 22 one-day international between India and South Africa was washed out without a ball being delivered.