Blame it on the inclement weather, poor drainage facilities, shortage of ground staff and an ill-equipped Greater Noida stadium, the first ever Test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand was expectedly abandoned without a ball being bowled, making it the first instance of this century after 1998, and the eighth such instance in Test cricket history.
On the final day of the Test, the rains returned early Friday morning, dampening any chances of play, and eventually the match was called off without a ball being bowled. Not that the historic match between the two sides will impact the World Test Championship rankings as it’s not a part of the ICC WTC, but match referee Javagal Srinath’s report to the International Cricket Council (ICC) will determine if the venue would incur any sanctions from the governing body.
There were chances of play on the first two days but poor drainage facility coupled with lack of preparedness ensured no play despite sunshine during playing hours. Expressing his disappointment over the condition of the ground, Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott also expressed his reservations over the scheduling of the Test.
“In terms of facilities, we are obviously disappointed that we haven’t been able to play,” Trott told reporters.
“To try and play a Test match this time of year is always tricky. We were very excited to play against New Zealand and put ourselves up against the challenge. We had played warm-up games and matches and got ourselves accustomed to the conditions and weather, which is very unique here. Unfortunately, the weather has played its part and it’s made it difficult for us to get a game and we’re very disappointed,” he added.
Trott’s New Zealand counterpart Gary Stead appeared to be on the same page after his side missed a great opportunity to get accustomed to the conditions, as they are to play two back-to-back Test series against Sri Lanka and India in the next two months.
“It’s frustrating for us. It was our first Test match against Afghanistan and we were really excited about that as well. They’ve been great competitors of ours over the last few World Cups as well,” he said.
“The most disappointing part for us is that we’ve lost that ability to be match-hardened and match-ready when we go into our Test match next week,” Stead added.
The Kiwis will now travel to Sri Lanka for two Tests before returning to India early October for three Tests against Rohit Sharma & Co. All the five Tests are part of the current WTC cycle, and the BlackCaps are currently at the third spot behind leaders India and Australia in the WTC standings.
Trott, meanwhile, suggested one fixed venue for Afghanistan in the near future.
“I think if you have one fixed venue, then you can iron out the issues that arise. But I think this is maybe a result of not having played a lot of Test cricket in the past and still trying to find a venue that we can use consistently,” he said.
Since getting their Test status in 2017, Afghanistan have played only nine international red-ball games before this fixture. But in the current FTP – from 2023 to 2027 Afghanistan is slated to play 22 Tests, and Trott expects his side to show the same passion as Afghanistan shows in white-ball cricket.
“I want to see Afghanistan have the same sort of passion and desire in the red ball as much as it is in the white ball. I think it’s attainable, but like anything, it’s going to take time and it’s going to take a lot of effort, it’s going to take a lot of communication between the management and the players and coaches,” Trott said.