Heavy rain forced the players off the field after just two overs in the Indian innings in the final of the final of the ICC Champions Trophy at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Sunday. The most crucial tie in the competition was later abandoned. As the organizers have a reserve day in store, this match will now be replayed on Monday as a fresh ODI.

Requiring 245 for victory, the new Indian opening combination of Virender Sehwag and Dinesh Mongia had taken the score to 14 for no loss, with the former being at his fiery best taking three boundaries of the second over bowled by Pulasthi Gunaratne after Mongia had played out a maiden over from Chaminda Vaas, before the heavens opened up.

Earlier, the Indian bowlers did well to restrict Sri Lanka to 244 for 5 in the fifty overs. They gave away only 96 runs in the last 20 overs and 46 off the last ten to stage a fine comeback after the hosts had totaled nearly 150 for just one wicket after 30 overs.

Harbhajan Singh, leading the spin attack in place of leg-spinner Anil Kumble, one of the three changes made by the Indians for this crucial tie, bowled splendidly (3 for 27) and fielded brilliantly as well.

It wasn’t exactly a blazing start for the Sri Lankans but a steady one at that as openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu put on 65 runs for the first wicket after the former had chosen to bat first once the coin fell in his favour.

The openers had seen off the opening duo of Zaheer Khan (0 for 43) and Javagal Srinath with no fuss at all. Srinath, recalled to the side for this all important game after his stint in the English county circuit with Leicester, found the going a little tough as he conceded 36 runs in his first spell of five overs.

The Indians had to wait for the last ball of the 13th over to make the initial breakthrough. Harbhajan Singh, introduced into the attack before the fielding restrictions were off, did the trick getting Atapattu (34, 46b, 5x4) in his very first over, courtesy of a fine parrying effort from short-midwicket fieldsman Ajit Agarkar.

Jayasuriya meanwhile was looking ominous stroking the ball freely and with Kumar Sangakkara, another bright Sri Lankan batting prospect, put the hosts on course for a large total before a brilliant running catch from Harbhajan off Agarkar put an end to the Lankan captain's essay. The second wicket partnership had yielded 90 runs.

In walked Aravinda de Silva, who in all probability was playing his last limited-overs international game on home territory, only to be reprieved twice off consecutive deliveries before he had got to double figures. Surprisingly two of India’s most competent men on the field - Mohammad Kaif and Sachin Tendulkar were the culprits, the bowler to suffer being off-spinner Sehwag.

The chances given to de Silva did not prove too costly as the Turbanator, Harbhajan Singh, brought back for his second spell, again struck immediately scalping the old war-horse, caught behind by wicket-keeper Rahul Dravid.

Mahela Jayawardene (13), totally out of form, and Sangakkara (54) fell within the space of five runs to leave the Lankans on 212 by which time the pitch had slowed down considerably. As a consequence the usually free-scoring Sri Lankan batsman found it difficult to find the ropes from the 32nd to the 49th over.

Zaheer Khan went wicket-less but was quite economical conceding only 43 runs in his ten overs while off-spinner Sehwag bowled out his full quota at just 3.20 runs per over. Agarkar, playing in his first match of the competition, gave away 22 runs in four overs but bagged the prized scalp of Jayasuriya.