The tourists had been hoping to get in some valuable practice at New Road but umpires George Sharp and Richard Kettleborough decided just after 2pm that no action was possible for the second successive day.

India have named a strong side for the four-day match but the poor weather means they could head into the Trent Bridge Test without taking to the field since their heavy defeat at Lord's.

The washout was also a disappointment for Worcs captain Graeme Hick, who was hoping to make an 11th-hour claim for an England World Cup squad place.

Hick is still harbouring hopes of forcing his way into Nasser Hussain's plans for the finals in South Africa in 2003 despite not having played for England since the 2001 tour of Sri Lanka.

The 36-year-old had been looking for an impressive performance against the Indians to push those chances along the lines of his 215 off 195 balls in the corresponding game in 1996.

Graham Thorpe's self-imposed temporary exile from cricket has left a place up for grabs in the England batting order.

Worcestershire director of cricket Tom Moody said: "Graeme was hungry to play in this game because he was keen to make a statement for a World Cup spot.

"Back-to-back hundreds or a big double hundred against India would have taken him another step closer to that ambition.

"But he has been frustrated again by the weather and it is frustrating for our young boys who would have been playing against a near full-strength India side - an experience they could only have benefited from."

Hick said: "I'd be very surprised if I was recalled for the Test side. I'd be delighted but I'd be surprised.

"But I've outside hopes of trying to make our World Cup side in March. That was one of my goals at the start of this season.

"I am concentrating on the cricket I am playing here and all I can do is play well and put my name in the hat and then the selectors will decide who goes."

The teams will attempt to try again on the third day of the four-day match on Friday although the weather forecast is again far from optimistic.