The fifth and final day washed out, marking the Test as the eighth in history to be abandoned without a single ball bowled.
Afghanistan’s one-off Test match against New Zealand was abandoned on Friday without a single ball being bowled, as persistent rain washed out the fifth and final day at Greater Noida Stadium, India. This rare occurrence marks only the eighth time in Test cricket history that a match has been abandoned across all five days without any play.
The match, which was part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Championship, faced delays from the very first day, as the toss on both the first and second days was postponed. The delay was attributed to the lack of modern facilities at the ground, which hindered the ground staff’s ability to dry the wet outfield, despite clear weather conditions on those days.
Due to inadequate drying equipment, the groundsmen resorted to traditional methods, such as using tarpaulin to cover parts of the field and electric fans to dry some of the wetter patches. On Tuesday, the ground staff even dug up a wet area between cover-point and mid-wicket, attempting to fill it with dry soil and fresh turf. However, these measures proved ineffective, and the field conditions remained unsuitable for play.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) expressed its frustration with the situation, criticizing the poor facilities at the venue. A board official stated, “We raised concerns over these issues, and they assured us that these problems would be addressed.” Following the abandonment of the match, the ACB initially announced that Afghanistan would not play any future matches at Greater Noida Stadium due to the mismanagement.
Despite this, the ACB later reversed its decision, reportedly to maintain good relations with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). As Greater Noida has served as Afghanistan’s home venue since 2016, officials emphasized the significance of the venue to Afghanistan cricket. “This venue has always been Afghanistan’s home venue. If we talk about back from 2016, we have been playing games here,” said one of the officials, reflecting on the longstanding relationship with the stadium.
The Test match, ultimately abandoned after rain on days three, four, and five, left both teams without an opportunity to compete. Fans and players alike were disappointed as the series came to an anticlimactic end without a single delivery being bowled.
The abandonment of this Test adds another rare chapter to cricket’s history of washed-out matches. For Afghanistan, the incident has raised important questions about the preparedness and facilities of certain venues, particularly when hosting international Test matches under the ICC’s prestigious Test Championship. While the ACB and BCCI will likely address these concerns, the cancellation of the match has left a lasting impression on the Afghanistan cricket team’s ongoing journey in international cricket.
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