The inevitability of the draw mattered little to Sehwag, who did his best to ensure the spectators at the County Ground were not short-changed.

He blazed his way to a 90-ball century, which, although having no impact on the result after Derbyshire had amassed 358 in reply to India's 445 for seven declared, at least served to provide some much-needed entertainment.

Despite the inexperienced nature of the Derbyshire attack and the use of eight bowlers, Sehwag's brutal 104 in India's 182 for three will not have gone unnoticed by the England management.

It was a measure of his unbridled aggression that Sanjay Bangar contributed just seven to an opening partnership worth 69, and the score had raced along to 128 by the time Sehwag departed, caught at long-on off Steve Selwood as he went in search of a fifth maximum.

Bangar's single-figure score represented a second failure of the match, while Shiv Sunder Das made the most of what amounted to little more than glorified batting practice in making 52.

His demise - caught by Paul Aldred off James Pyemont - prompted the captains to call a halt to proceedings.

The Derbyshire players also found the pitch, and a second-string India attack, to their liking, but the loss of seven wickets for 130 runs was something of a disappointment after they had closed on 228 for three.