NEW DELHI: Unfit pitch conditions at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium forced the fifth and final one-day international between India and Sri Lanka to be abandoned on Sunday.

Sri Lanka, sent in to bat, were 83-5 in the 24th over when the umpires stopped play after a ball from debutante seamer Sudeep Tyagi bounced alarmingly before going head-high to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Match referee Alan Hurst of Australia called off the game after lengthy discussions with the umpires and local officials, leaving some 40,000 home fans at the stadium disappointed.

News of the match being abandoned was conveyed through the television station broadcasting the game. An official statement from Hurst is expected later.

The match held only academic interest as India held an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.