With the first day's play of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka washed out, there was little cheer for the cricket lovers of Chennai as heavy rains battered the city for nearly three hours on Friday as the cyclone over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining west Bay weakened into a depression and lay 250-kms east-southeast off the coast.

• Flood-ravaged AP heaves sigh of relief as depression further weakens

The depression was likely to move in a west-northwesterly direction and cross the coast between Chennai and Ongole in Andhra Pradesh on Friday night, Area Cyclone Warning Centre Director S R Ramanan said.

Under the influence of the depression, widespread rains are likely over north coastal Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and parts of south interior Tamil Nadu, he said.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the cyclonic storm, which was located 400-kms east-northeast of Chennai had remained stationary, raising hopes that some play might be possible.

But the storm weakened on Thursday night as a deep depression dashing all hopes.

This is the third match that has been hit by rain followed by one early this monsoon and another during the rainy season in 2004.