The covered pitch due to heavy rain on the fourth day of the test match at Greater Noida Stadium.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

The one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was called off on Friday (September 13, 2024) without a ball being bowled, marking only the eighth time in Test cricket history that such a situation has occurred.

The first two days of the game were cancelled because of a wet outfield, raising significant concerns about the preparedness of the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex. The remaining three days were then washed out due to persistent rain.

An inspection was held on Friday morning but with puddles of water still present on the uncovered sections of the outfield, it was a foregone conclusion that the match would be abandoned without even the toss taking place.

“It is still raining in Greater Noida and due to frequent rains, the 5th and final day of the Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test has been called off by the match officials,” the Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement.

Only seven matches in the history of Test cricket have been abandoned without a ball being bowled dating back to 1890. The last time it happened was almost 26 years ago, in 1998.

Incidentally, it was a match involving the Kiwis. They were scheduled to play India in Dunedin, New Zealand.

However, it is the first time such an occurrence has taken place in an Indian venue.

There had been incessant rain here for the past two weeks and the lack of facilities, like proper ground covers to spread across the 30-yard circle, sub-par drainage, lack of trained ground staff, and inadequate super-soppers, caused maximum damage.

Despite bright sunshine on the first two days, no play was possible as the umpires cited “players safety” as a concern.

The midwicket area was a particular concern. To address the issue, groundsmen brought in dry sections of grass from the practice area to “transplant” in the midwicket zone.

While the BCCI tried to assist by providing additional machinery and the Delhi Delhi & District Cricket Association and Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association helping out, it was a little too late.

Afghanistan, who were granted their Test status in 2017 and have played only nine international red-ball games before this fixture, were the hosts.

It was the first time Afghanistan, who don’t get to play too many Tests with big nations, was scheduled to take on New Zealand.

This fixture was, however, not a part of the ICC’s World Test Championship cycle.

As for the stadium, match referee Javagal Srinath’s report on the preparedness of the venue will go a long way in deciding its fate.

The third day of the only Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was called off because of rain. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Incessant rain led to the abandonment of the third day’s play in the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium on Wednesday.

As it rained heavily the previous night, there were puddles in several parts of the ground, forcing the match officials to call play at 9 a.m. While the New Zealand players stayed back at the hotel, Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott had a look at the surface. He left the venue after a brief conversation with the groundsmen.

In contrast to the first two days, where only the pitch was covered, the groundstaff made it a point to cover almost the entire ground to avoid further damage to the outfield.

After drawing flak over the last few days, the stadium authorities and Afghanistan Cricket Board brought covers from the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday evening while the Uttar Pradesh CA sent a couple of super soppers to get the ground back in shape. However, things were beyond anyone’s control.