The second Test between India and South Africa lost its third day of cricket after rain returned on Tuesday to wash out day four.
Play was to resume at 10:30 after the start was delayed due to a wet outfield, but the rain returned to ruin any chance of cricket being played in Bengaluru.
The second Test will end in a draw after the third day on Monday, like the second, was also lost due to rain.
South Africa will no doubt be relieved while India are left frustrated. The home side were in control after day one, reaching 80-0 at stumps after bowling the Proteas out for 214 in less than a day.
The rain keeps South Africa in the series after they lost the first Test by 108 runs. They lost Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander to injury in the build-up to the second match but that has not been their main problem.
The batsmen have been poor in both games so far, failing to apply themselves properly and being guilty of too many soft dismissals.
It will be concerning from a South African point of view that there has been no improvement from the first Test, where they lost inside three days and failed to reach 200 in both innings.
They managed 214 in the first innings in Bengaluru, but coach Russell Domingo wasn’t impressed.
‘There were far too many soft dismissals,’ he said. ‘When you are playing against a quality bowling attack like India you have to limit the freebies that you give them. There were far too many soft dismissals for our liking.’
Only AB de Villiers, playing in his 100th Test resisted the Indian spin attack which brought Ravi Ashwin and Ravendra Jedeja four wickets apiece.
De Villiers looked as though he was batting on a different surface to the rest of his team mates, finishing on 85 off 105 balls with 11 fours and a six. He was eventually dismissed to the last ball before the tea break to a highly controversial catch behind. There was considerable doubt as to whether he actually touched the ball.
But in the process he passed 1 000 runs against India in Tests – the fifth country against whom he has achieved this, the others being England, Australia, the West Indies and Pakistan.
Picture: BCCI
