With India needing to score at a shade over seven an over to win, Gough was unfortunate not to dismiss Sehwag in his second over, when a confident appeal for caught behind was turned down by umpire Willey. Replays suggested a faint outside edge. Ganguly was out in bizarre fashion, stepping away to drive Tudor, and ultimately playing well away from his body to give Flintoff a straightforward slip catch.

Sehwag hit - and missed - very hard, with early boundaries to leg off Tudor and third man off Gough. He then hit Tudor for 15 in an over, including a brace of off-side fours and a hooked six. Flintoff's first ball was whipped through square leg with astonishing power. To England's huge relief he was caught behind in Irani's first over. Sehwag's 46 had come off a mere 41 balls.

Needing to calm Indian nerves, Laxman and Tendulkar dealt mainly in ones and twos. But the nerves were jangling again after Laxman was caught at mid-off, pulling too soon at Collingwood.

To all but the most die-hard Indian supporters, Flintoff was a joy to watch. Highlights included a mid-wicket six off Kumble, and a straight drive so fierce that Sehwag, the bowler, covered his head as it passed him. Agarkar was smashed through mid-wicket, extra cover and square leg, Ganguly behind cover point. Irani, dropped on 20 by Kaif off Yuvraj, found himself playing a supporting role. It ended when Flintoff hoisted Agarkar high to mid-wicket, where Nehra took a steepler with calm assurance. Flintoff's 51 came off 38 balls, with a six and six fours.

Vaughan, after a mid-wicket four off Agarkar, should have been caught there by Ganguly in the same bowler's next over. India missed another chance when Ratra failed to stump Irani as he charged Yuvraj; the batsman celebrated with six over long-off. Vaughan, having just clipped Khan for a remarkable six behind square leg, fell caught by Yuvraj at third man.

Irani, after completing his first ODI 50 off 53 balls, was bowled swinging across the line at Kumble. In the last-minute rush Collingwoood was bowled in similar fashion by Nehra, and Hussain hit Khan down Kaif's throat at long-on. Stewart was out first ball, bowled as he tried to guide a straight ball from Khan to third man, but Gough finished the innings in characteristically exuberant style, hitting the last ball for six over mid-wicket.

India's bowlers made a wayward start, with three wides in Nehra's first over, one of which also swung late and went between first and second slip to the boundary. Knight was initially the more aggrssive of England's openers, twice dispatching Nehra through mid-wicket and lacing Khan through extra cover. He also rode his luck, with repeated edges to third man.

Trescothick's first boundary didn't come until the eighth over, but it brought up England's 50 off 48 balls. Kumble's swift introduction brought immediate success; his first ball, a yorker, hit Trescothick's middle and off stumps as he played over it.

As Irani got under way confidently, Agarkar bwoled just one over for nine runs before making way for Yuvraj Singh. It was another inspired change, as kight top-edged a sweep for Kaif to take a brilliant, diving catch running round from square leg.

England team: ME Trescothick, NV Knight, *N Hussain, A Flintoff, +AJ Stewart, RC Irani, PD Collingwood, AJ Tudor, D Gough, MJ Hoggard, MP Vaughan.

India team: *SC Ganguly, V Sehwag, SR Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, M Kaif, AB Agarkar, A Kumble, Z Khan, A Nehra, VVS Laxman, A Ratra.

Ajay Ratra will keep wicket for India for the first time in the series, in place of Rahul Dravid who has a pulled muscle.

The pitch and surrounding areas were completely covered at 1015 BST (1115 GMT), with small puddles around the edges of the covers. Although there were signs that the heavy rain of earlier this morning was thinning out, the prospects of play before this afternoon are virtually non-existent.

The match is a dress rehearsal for the final between England and India at Lord's on Saturday. India have won all three of their completed matches so far, while England have won two and lost two, with last week's match against India at Chester-le-Street abandoned.

The rain finally relented at 1230 BST (1330 GMT) at the AMP Oval, and efforts were being made by the ground staff to clear the outfield of excess water.

It's still hoped to stage a short match between England and India this afternoon, as no further rain is expected.