Afghanistan-New Zealand Test abandoned before play
It was the first time that a Test was abandoned without any play at an Indian venue
PTI
-
it was a match involving the Kiwis. They were scheduled to play India in Dunedin, New Zealand but no action was possible due to inclement weather.PHOTO:PTI
Greater
Noida, 13 Sept
The one-off
Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was called off on Friday without a
ball being bowled owing to incessant rain here, making it only the eighth
instance of a match being abandoned in such a manner in the history of five-day
games.
It was the
first time that a Test was abandoned without any play at an Indian venue.
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 still present on the
uncovered parts 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 but no action was possible due to inclement weather.
In the same
year and on the same day, a Pakistan-Zimbabwe Test in Faisalabad was also
called off without any play owing to thick winter fog.
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
mid-wicket area was a particular concern. To address the issue, groundsmen
brought in dry sections of grass from the practice area to
"transplant" in the mid-wicket 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.-PTI
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