CHENNAI, India, 7 December 2005 — Chaminda Vaas skittled India for their lowest total against Sri Lanka before the rain-ravaged first Test was consigned to a draw here yesterday.

The left-arm seamer grabbed 4-20 in 21 overs and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed two wickets as India were shot out for 167 on the fifth and final day at the Chepauk.

Sri Lanka rode on Mahela Jayawardena’s 71 to score 168-4 in reply before the match was called off after 14 wickets fell in the four sessions of play possible in the game due to inclement weather.

Leg-spinner Anil Kumble, India’s most successful Test bowler and the main threat to Sri Lanka in the series, took three of those wickets to take his tally to 468 from 98 Tests.

The meaningless proceedings in the Test, where the first three days and two sessions of the fourth day were wiped out by rain, were lit up by a fiery exhibition of seam bowling by Vaas.

The new Sri Lankan vice-captain began the day with seven maidens on the trot and struck vital blows as India fell below their previous low of 180 against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2001.

Vaas, who had removed openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir on Monday, had Indian captain Rahul Dravid caught behind for 32 and claimed a return catch to dismiss Kumble.

Muralitharan flattened Sachin Tendulkar’s bid for a world-record 35th century, trapping the Indian star leg-before for a dour 22 that came off 126 deliveries.

India lost six wickets for 38 runs in the morning session on an under-prepared wicket with low bounce, which both coaches said was not conducive for good batting.

Saurav Ganguly, returning to international cricket after being sacked as captain and dropped from the one-day side, lasted barely 30 minutes after being greeted to the middle by some 2,500 home fans.

Ganguly ran out Venkatsai Laxman after refusing his call for a single and was then himself dismissed for five, caught at point by Tillekeratne Dilshan off Dilhara Fernando.

Sri Lanka were awarded five penalty runs when an edge off Jayawardena’s bat went through Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s legs and struck the helmet lying on the field behind the wicket-keeper. The second Test will be played in New Delhi from Dec. 10-14 and the third in Ahmedabad from Dec. 18-22. Clear weather is forecast in both cities this month.

Vaughan to Miss One-Day Series

In London, England cricket captain Michael Vaughan will miss the one-day series against Pakistan as he undergoes an exploratory operation on his injured knee.

Vaughan, who suffered the recurrence of a cartilage problem at the start of the recent Test series, returned home from Pakistan at the weekend and saw a specialist in England on Monday. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed yesterday that he is to have an “arthroscopic assessment” on the injury, which forced him to miss last month’s first Test in Multan.

Vaughan, 31, is still awaiting the birth of his second child and will have the operation as soon as possible after the birth.

Woolmer and Ponting Want Super Sub Rule Change

In Sydney, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer and Australia captain Ricky Ponting want a change to the super sub rule being trialled in one-day games by the International Cricket Council (ICC). In an experiment, due to be reviewed in April, teams are allowed to use super subs, although they have to be named before the toss, and also call their own power-plays — five-over blocks with fielding restrictions.

“A bit of fine-tuning could be made to make the game even better,” Ponting said. “To be able to name your sub after the toss would work better for everybody.

Top Zimbabwe Cricket Duo Arrested

In Durban, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute have been arrested and are to appear in court on charges of foreign exchange fraud.

“They will be charged under the Exchange Control Act,” chief superintendent Oliver Mandipaka told Reuters from Harare yesterday.