CHENNAI, Dec 4: Overnight rain and wet ground conditions forced play to be called off without a ball being bowled for the third consecutive day in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Umpires Daryl Harper and Mark Benson made the decision to abandon play for the day after inspecting the ground half an hour before the scheduled 0330 GMT start.

After the first two days were washed out, chances of a prompt start on Sunday turned bleak when the southern city experienced heavy showers overnight.

Meanwhile, the third Test of the series, scheduled to be played from Dec 18, has been shifted from Kanpur to Ahmedabad.

The second Test is in New Delhi from Dec 10 to 14.—Agencies