The one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand witnessed abandonment for a third consecutive day as incessant overnight rain in Greater Noida was enough to wash out the entire day’s action, with the match in danger of being entirely washed out without a ball being bowled.
Afghanistan’s adopted home ground — Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium at Greater Noida has been beset by problems, with incessant rain since Tuesday night piling on the agony for the groundsmen on an already waterlogged outfield that caused the first two days to be lost.
The venue, hosting its first Test, has already come under scrutiny for lack of basic drainage facilities. Electric fans were used in desperate attempts to make sodden patches playable at the ground, which saw sunshine on the previous two days. On Tuesday, the ground staff dug up one wet area, refilling it with dry soil and laying fresh turf.
Afghanistan have hosted several T20 and one-day internationals since 2017 at the venue and their cricket board have defended their choice of Greater Noida.
While New Zealand players stayed back at the hotel on Wednesday, Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott reached the venue but left after a brief conversation with the ground staff. The Greater Noida stadium comes under the control of the local administration, and not the BCCI or the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association.
Facing criticism for failing to provide the bare-minimum requirements, the stadium authorities and the Afghanistan Cricket Board brought covers from the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday evening. The UPCA also sent a couple of super soppers to get the ground back in shape but with the rain refusing to stay away on Wednesday, there was no action possible.
While the ACB office-bearers are hoping for some action on the fourth day of the solitary Test match, there are predictions of more showers. In case of no action on the final two days, it could be the eighth such occasion in the history of Test cricket.