Rain plays spoilsport, washes out second ODI

Incessant showers stopped a galloping India in their tracks in the second cricket one-day international against New Zealand, resulting in the abandonment of the game at the Westpac stadium here tonight.
India were rocking at 130 for one in 19 overs when rain disrupted the proceedings. After two restarts, the tourists had surged to 188 for four from 28.4 overs when the skies opened yet again.
Umpires Rudi Koertzen and Ewan Watkin, abandoned play at 8.15 pm (local time). Three interruptions had reduced the 50-over game to a 34-over affair, frustrating the motley crowd which hung on patiently for almost four hours before the umpires put them out of their anxiety.
The teams move to Christchurch for the third ODI with India leading the five-match series 1-0.
Virender Sehwag (54) and Sachin Tendulkar (61), prudently playing second fiddle to his adventurous partner, put India in the driver's seat with a quick-fire 76 run partnership for the first wicket.
The hapless Kiwis were smacked all over in the first 12 overs as Sehwag, despite being hampered by a cramped leg muscle, spanked their attack with gay abandon.
Sehwag's 31st half-century came off just 36 balls and was studded with nine fours and one shot over the fence