Afghanistan vs New Zealand test called off due to rain with no toss and without a single ball being bowled.
Afghanistan vs New Zealand was supposed to be the first test meeting between the two teams. But persistent rain and a wet outfield meant that the game was called off.
Due to no play on the first two days, chances of a result were bleak at best. Play was abandoned today as quickly as 9:15 am in the morning.
Broadcasters believed that “the outlook is quite grim for not just today, but potentially all five days .”
A 3-hour downpour yesterday coupled with another one at 7 am today was the final nail. It was enough for the on-field umpires to call it a day. Sharfuddoula and Kumar Dharmasena called off the day before the scheduled start at 9.30 am.
Despite widespread criticism on the outfield and other amenities, there was no blame game. ACB manager Menhajuddin Raz said it was just “bad luck”.
The previous time the first three days of a Test were abandoned was in 2008, when Bangladesh hosted New Zealand in Mirpur. The Greater Noida Test joined seven others that were abandoned without a ball being bowled
Afghanistan has only played ten matches since gaining Test status in 2017. For New Zealand, the one-off Test is the beginning of their journey across the subcontinent.
They are set to play 2 Tests in Sri Lanka, that will be followed by 3 in India. Unlike this test, these tests will have a bearing on New Zealand’s WTC prospects.
New Zealand were winners of the 2021 WTC cycle, beating India in the final at Southampton. They will hope to have a good showing in the subcontinent, where they don’t have a good record.
New Zealand play Sri Lanka beginning on September 18.