Australia skipper Adam Gilchrist said he was disappointed that rain forced the final day's play in the second Test in Chennai to be abandoned on Monday.

"The Test match was shaping up to be a classic," he said, after play was called off in the afternoon. "Both teams were in the hunt and it is very frustrating to finish this way."

India were 19 for no loss overnight, chasing 229 for victory on a turning Chepauk pitch, and appeared to have a better chance of emerging triumphant.

"India may have been slightly in front," Gilchrist added. "But we scored only 219 runs on the fourth day, and on a Day five worn out pitch it would have been increasingly difficult."

"We are extremely disappointed with our first innings batting. From 130 for no loss to 235 all out, you can't do that in Test cricket. India batted well in the first innings and were in front," he said, talking about Australia's collapse in the first innings.

"In time gone past we could have easily been intimidated by that kind of batting. We were totally swept away on day one to the extent we could have been completely crushed.

"But we fought well. We allowed ourselves to fightback and cling on. We stayed with them [Indians] to an extent where there was pressure on them now."

Gilchrist called Simon Katich the "glue" that holds the top order together and said his decision to come ahead of the left-hander was "a spur of the moment decision".

He also praised leg spinner Shane Warne, who claimed the world record for most Test wickets in the Chennai match, returning six for 125 in the Indian first innings to finish on 537 wickets.

"This is not the best I have seen him bowling, although he may have a different opinion.

"In my first series against India (1999-2000)... he didn't get a fiver, but he bowled remarkably well and got four wickets in a few innings."

Australia's gains and losses, according to Gilchrist:

Negatives
1. Our batting collapse in the first innings, but we already showed improvement in the second innings

2. Our fielding could have been sharper. Everybody has off-days but that gives us something to work on ahead of Nagpur.

Positives
The biggest positive is, of course, the way we fought back. In the first innings we were in danger of being swept away after conceding a lead of 141, but we fought all the way through and that is very heartening.