JOHANNESBURG, Nov 19: Rain prevented any play in the first of the five One-day Internationals between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

Players, officials and spectators endured a frustrating afternoon of intermittent rain before play was finally called off more than four hours after the scheduled start.

At one stage it was announced that a 43-overs match would be played instead but as had happened shortly before the originally scheduled toss, rain started to fall.

The rain stopped again and another inspection was planned only for more rain to fall, finally causing the umpires to call off the match.

With no reserve day scheduled, it was a blow for both teams in their build-up to the World Cup in the West Indies next year.

The second match will be a day-night match in Durban Wednesday. —AFP