The one-off Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Greater Noida was canceled today without a ball being bowled. This marks the eighth occurrence in the history of Test cricket where a match has been called off without a single ball being played.
“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.
The first two days of the game were canceled due to a wet outfield, highlighting serious concerns about the readiness of the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex. The remaining three days were subsequently washed out because of continued rainfall.
An inspection on Friday morning revealed persistent puddles of water on the uncovered sections of the outfield, making it clear that the match would be abandoned without even reaching the toss.
Test cricket history
Prior to this, only seven matches in Test cricket had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled dating back to 1890. The most recent occurrence of such an event was nearly 26 years ago, in 1998, when a match involving the Kiwis was scheduled against India in Dunedin, New Zealand. However, this is the first time such a scenario has occurred at an Indian venue.
Incessant rain over the past two weeks, coupled with insufficient facilities – such as inadequate ground covers for the 30-yard circle, poor drainage, untrained ground staff, and insufficient super-soppers – caused significant damage. Even though there was bright sunshine on the first two days, no play was possible as the umpires cited “player safety” as a concern.
The situation has raised some serious questions on the preparedness of the stadium.
(With PTI inputs)