The one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Greater Noida was canceled without any ball on Day 5 due to continuous rain. This match was meant to be the first-ever Test between the two teams, but bad weather made the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium unfit for play.
“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 also called off by the match officials,” read an official statement.
The last time a full Test match was washed out by rain was in December 1998, during a game between New Zealand and India in Dunedin.
The abandoned Test between Australia and England in Melbourne in 1970 unexpectedly led to the creation of one-day international cricket. When the weather cleared, the teams played a 40-over game on what would have been the fifth day of the Test, and this became the first-ever ODI.
There were reports of mismanagement at the venue, but officials have denied them. The ground staff struggled to prepare the field on Day 2 because there weren’t enough covers and the drainage system wasn’t good enough.
The ground staff tried unusual techniques, like using turf from behind the sight screen and practice areas to cover wet spots on the field. Afghanistan’s choice of venue was also criticized, as it mostly hosts corporate tournaments and lacks essential facilities, like proper covers and super-soppers, to manage rainy weather.
