First-time opponents, both teams’ playing dates may be coincidental, but this one-off Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand had the date circled in the cricket lovers’ calendar. But how sad that for the expectations built over this day, the excitement will now have to give way to disappointment due to the unplayable weather conditions, forcing the two boards to abandon the game without a single ball bowled. This has happened only eight times in Test cricket. Now, let’s delve into why the match did not happen, what went wrong, and what this means for both teams.
Weathering the Storm
The first two days of the Test were called off owing to a wet outfield. Incessant rain in Greater Noida had led to serious waterlogging on the pitch, seriously raising questions regarding the pitch’s readiness. The rain had stopped by then, but the damage was done. The outfield was soggy, to say the least, and conditions were never going to be ideal enough for cricketing action to begin.
An inspection was carried out on the morning of Friday to check on the state of the ground. Although there was a slight improvement, puddles were still on the ground, with the ones in the uncovered part being a concern. The umpires thought it impossible to play safely, and at last, the announcement was made that the match had been abandoned. This was after the confirmation of the same by the Afghanistan Cricket Board due to continuous rain.
Historical Context
Abandonments without a ball being bowled are quite rare in Test cricket. Since 1890, only seven matches have been abandoned in this manner, with the last one coming back in 1998, between New Zealand and India. For the first time now, it has happened at an Indian venue, which goes to show that sometimes the venues in India are not up to the mark as far as hosting international cricket is concerned.
That abandonment was more disappointing for Afghanistan, of course. Still finding their feet as a relatively new Test nation were granted Test status in 2017—this was a great opportunity to host a big team like New Zealand. The opportunity to show how they have progressed, to put up a good fight and be competitive against one of the better sides in the world, which is what this fixture would offer them, is thus lost.
The abandoned Test was the latest in the list of disruptions for New Zealand, as far as their crammed cricket calendar goes. No play could be afforded, sad but they might like to take on the coming fixtures now. Such situation-like events have happened to the Kiwis before, but this one had added an unexpected twist to their tour.
Ahead and A new beginning
Abandoning this game indeed raised a question over the preparedness of the venue to host an international game. The report of the match referee, Javagal Srinath, is important in deciding the fate of the stadium. Necessary improvements are to be made so as not to let such incidents take place in the future also, particularly in high-profile games.
The abandonment of the Afghanistan-New Zealand Test without a ball being bowled because of soaked ground is a first in the history of cricket. This shows that proper ground maintenance and subsequent planning are key. This was another chance lost for the two teams, which again forms part of the game. Better infrastructure with proper preparation in further matches will help fans and players avoid this kind of experience.
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