Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir hits the ball to the boundary against Sri Lanka in their rain-affected one-day match in Brisbane, yesterday. Gambhir made 102 not out. - AP

BRISBANE (AP)

RAIN STARTED immediately after India posted 267 for four against Sri Lanka, yesterday and continued until umpires called off a second match in the limited-overs tri-series without a result.

Guatam Gambhir made an unbeaten 102 from 101 balls after being dropped on 11 to lift India from 83 for four in the 21st over to a competitive total against the Sri Lankans, finalists at the last World Cup.

But for the second time in three days, a match in Brisbane was washed out before India's bowlers got much chance with the ball.

In trouble

Yesterday's outcome followed the wash-out against Australia on Sunday, when India posted 194 and then had the hosts in trouble at 51 for three before rain intervened.

Yesterday, Gambhir had a reprieve on 11 when wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara missed a diving chance off Ishara Amerasinghe and he survived a rocky middle period before combining with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a 184-run stand after Muttiah Muralitharan took two wickets in his first over.

Yuvraj Singh (two), back in the team after a knee injury, edged to slip off Muralitharan's third ball.

Two balls later, 20-year-old Rohit Sharma was adjudged out by umpire Rudi Koertzen, caught behind to a ball that appeared to miss his bat, and despite no appeal from Muralitharan.

After India lost three wickets for three runs, Gambhir and Dhoni started slowly and scored just 32 in the middle 10 overs, but accelerated and combined for 105 in the final 10.

Gambhir stroked Lasith Malinga for successive boundaries in the last over to post his third one-day international century.

Veteran openers, Sachin Tendulkar (35) and Virender Sehwag (33), started confidently with a 68-run stand before Tendulkar played on to a Malinga ball.

The third match in the series is scheduled for tomorrow (Jamaica time), when Australia take on Sri Lanka in Sydney.