Tuesday's fourth and penultimate One-Day International between India and Sri Lanka [Images] was called off without a ball being bowled due to intermittent rain in Colombo.

The day-night match, at the R Premadasa stadium, will be played on Wednesday, the reserve day.

Umpires Billy Doctrov and Gamini Silva made a final inspection at around 1800 hours and decided against getting the match underway.

Rain around half an hour before the scheduled 1430 IST start left the outfield wet. The umpires waited for over three-and-a-half hours it to stop, but in vain.

India lead he five-match rubber 2-1.

After being thrashed in the first match in Dambulla, Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] and his young bravehearts scored two close victories in the next two and are now looking for one more victory to record a rare overseas series triumph.

Meanwhile, as the Indian cricket team temporarily left the ground realising the futility of even having match practice, the colourful Sri Lankan crowd was undettered and made most of the situation through dance and music.

While the ground screen kept highlighting the beating of plastic sticks and dancing by a section of spectators, the crowd in the other parts of the stadium reciprocated through loud cheers.