The start of Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off Test in Greater Noida has been prevented for the third straight day as the weather continues to play spoilsport. Due to the rain and wet outfield, there has been no play possible and even the toss of the game has not taken place at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.
With no action taking place on either of the three days, it is curious to know when the last three opening days were abandoned in a test match. This is the first time since 2008 that the opening three days of a Test match have been abandoned. The last Test match not to see an opening for three days was when Bangladesh hosted New Zealand in a Test in Mirpur.
That game was delayed due to rain on the first three days and it began on the fourth day with the Blackcaps batting first. However, the game ended in a predictable draw on the fifth day.
Coming back to the Afghanistan vs New Zealand one-off game in Greater Noida, the ground staff has been working to prepare the ground. The staff members have even tried digging out the top grass of the venue and looked to dry the patches using super soppers and dry fans, but nothing has worked. It rained in Delhi and the neighbouring regions ahead of the match, and the grass is not being sand-based, it takes greater time to soak the moisture and be ready for any action.
There were heavy showers at the venue on the Day 3 morning which called for the game to be called out as early as 9:15 AM local time.
The eyes will be on the match referee Javagal Srinath's report after the Test match that will eventually decide the fate of the venue. According to the ICC 'Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process' that came into effect in November 2023, "After each Match, the Match Referee (Srinath in this case) will complete a Pitch and Outfield Report Form and send it to the ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager."
