The second day's play has been called off with umpires deeming conditions not good enough to play. Poor state of affairs as it never rained today since morning.
The waiting game continues for the second day in a row as despite there being no rain, the wet patches do not seem to get dried up and the absolute frustration for everyone is growing. The next inspection will be after three hours from now at 3 PM, and chances of play look really bleak for second day on the bounce.
Drier patches of grass are being taken from the practice facilities to the ground as wet patches on the outfield are being dug up. Table fans, sponges, dry clothes are being used to dry the area which has taken the most beating and the chances of any play seem to be very remote.
"It is the same story. We had a huge downpour last evening and we have some new (wet) patches to worry about. The area is around cover-point/ mid-wicket region. They are taking out the patch of grass and replacing it with new ones. This might work. But at the moment it is not looking promising," reports Farveez Maharoof.
It seems like the weather gods and destiny wasn't in favour of this Test match happening. Just when it was about to start, the groundsmen started digging the outfield up. Now, the first inspection has been kept directly after lunch on Day 2, at 12 PM IST.
The toss has been delayed once again as the groundsmen for some reason are digging up the area around mid-on, the problem area yesterday because of the late-night shower and for now there's a hold-up. Stay tuned for more updates!
The weather has improved from Monday onwards. It poured a bit last night but hopefully it will not prove to be a much of a problem. There was a morning shower on the horizon but for now, it has subsided and the match is set for an on-time start at 9:30 AM.
The pitch has been under the covers for a couple of days while the outfield has taken a beating due to the ongoing monsoon season in Delhi-NCR. Hence, the conditions are far from perfect for the batters and hence, both captains will be eager to bowl first at the Shaheed Vijay Pathik Sports Complex Stadium.
It was a damp squib of a start to the only Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test match in Greater Noida amid poor conditions as despite the sun shining throughout the day, not a single ball was bowled due to the wet outfield. The multiple wet patches in the 30-yard circle especially didn't let the officials take any risk especially after Ibrahim Zadran got injured following a slip. So, it begins again, hopefully for an on-time start on Tuesday morning.
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