Nottinghamshire 152 and 81 for 2 trail Warwickshire 311 (Clarke 74, Ambrose 72, Ball 4-76) by 78 runs

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Varun Chopra helped lead a strong response Getty Images

Varun Chopra could be forgiven for the look of confusion on his face when asked "what's gone wrong?" in his Warwickshire career.

After all, Chopra has been the club's leading run-scorer for four of the last five seasons in all formats of the game. He was the only man in the side to reach 1,000 Championship runs in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He has played a crucial role in the club winning all three trophies since his arrival from Essex ahead of the 2010 season and, after leading his side to a first victory in the T20 competition in 2014, was captain of the side until January of this year.

Even this season, when rain has limited him to 12 Championship innings, he has reached 50 six times - nobody in the top division has done so more often - and scored an unbeaten 97 in his only white-ball appearance. No England-qualified player has ever scored more runs in a T20 innings for Warwickshire and, in five of Warwickshire's Championship matches this season, he has made their highest aggregate of runs.

So it seems odd that Warwickshire have dropped him from their white-ball side. And it seems odd that Warwickshire have not offered him a new contract. Indeed, they seem resigned - bizarrely resigned - to losing him to another county without putting up much of a fight to retain him.

It might be an understandable conclusion if Chopra was a difficult or divisive fellow. But he is far from that. Quite the opposite, really, with his unruffled nature having always been credited as an asset in the past.

So the current situation has left him perplexed, frustrated and more than a bit concerned. To be dropped from the limited-overs sides was worrying enough but, having won a recall due to injury and made the 56-ball 97, to be dropped afterwards seemed to confirm his fears.

"I've loved my time at Warwickshire," he tells ESPNcricinfo. "But I've had no contract offer and you sort of draw your own conclusions when that happens.

"It's been frustrating not to play white-ball cricket and it's really disappointing not to have had a contract offer, but I'll continue to be professional and try to score as many runs as possible and win games for the club.

"I still have realistic ambitions to play for England. I turned 29 a week or so ago, so I know it realistically has to happen in the next couple of years and I know I probably have to continue to play Division One cricket. But my stats at the top-order are as good as just about anyone, I could play for eight or so more years and I feel I'm just reaching my peak."

He will have no shortage of suitors if he does leave. Alongside the Durham pair, Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick, Chopra is among the most proven top-order batsmen out of contract on the county circuit this season. ESPNcricinfo understands that three clubs, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire and Essex, are understood to have made 28-day approaches to talk to him, while several more, including Lancashire, are considering doing the same. He has not spoken to any of them, though, and seems to retain hopes that Warwickshire may yet offer him a new deal.

"I've yet to speak to any other clubs," he says. "So my door is open. I think of myself as a proper Bear. But I am a professional cricketer, it's a short career, I still have ambitions and I do need to look after my future."

There was just over one session of play possible at Edgbaston on Tuesday before rain intervened. Jake Ball, who had been heavily bowled on Monday, did not take to the field after complaining of a sore elbow. The club say the decision to rest him was purely precautionary and he is expected to bowl in the second innings - in the unlikely event that the rain relents - and in Nottinghamshire's T20 Blast game on Friday night.

That will be a relief to the England management. Ball was watched by James Whitaker and Andy Flower during his excellent new-ball spell on Monday and looks certain to be included in the England squad for the first Investec Test of the series against Pakistan. With Ben Stokes and James Anderson struggling to recover fitness in time - it currently look as if both will miss the game - Ball has a good chance of making his Test debut. Luke Fletcher, who hurt his groin on day two, expects to return to action in a week or so.

In the brief window of play possible, Warwickshire secured a third batting bonus point - a decent effort from 117 for 5 - and a first-innings lead of 159.

But they then found Nottinghamshire's batting more stubborn than first time around. Jake Libby was drawn into pushing at one angled across him and edged to slip while Michael Lumb was, for the second time in the match, beaten by a quicker one from Jeetan Patel, but Steven Mullaney looked solid and the rain - forecast to continue into the final day - may well save them from further trouble.