There was no likelihood of the rain relenting with two days' play totally washed out at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Only 86.2 overs have been bowled so far in the Test with the West Indies at 248 for seven.
Denesh Ramdin was on 30 with Kemar Roach yet to score.
It continued Warner's bad run of luck with lbws after he
was given out in the first ODI and did not appeal when subsequent reviews showed that dismissal would have been overturned.
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New Zealand's 281 owed much to Santner and his tail-end partnership with Milne as well as Kane Williamson's 60.
McCullum produced his trademark onslaught to get a brisk start and New Zealand reached 35 in the fifth over when he was bowled by Scott Boland for 28.
But the rest of New Zealand's top order were unable to maintain momentum and even Williamson's 60 took 74 balls.
At the start of the 30th over, New Zealand were 152-3. Just over 11 overs later they had added only 53 runs and critically lost four wickets to be 205-7.
Josh Hazlewood took three for 61 while Adam Zampa, on debut, Scott Boland and Marsh took two wickets each.