AFG vs NZ Test Day 4: Quite strange that it is Stumps of Day 4 and the coin is yet to be flipped! Yes, day four of the only test between Afghanistan and New Zealand is called off without the toss.
BCCI offered Afghanistan to host New Zealand and with both teams interested, Afghanistan were set to host New Zealand in India for a one-off test. The AFG vs NZ Test contest was scheduled to be played from Sept 9 to Sept 12.
Afghanistan Cricket Board’s official said that the BCCI offered them Kanpur, Bengaluru and Noida as the options for the test match and they chose Noida because it was closer to Delhi and connectivity from Kabul was better.
Noida city in India faced heavy to very heavy rainfall on 8th September and there wasn’t the facility of full ground covering so there were big damps on the offside. The ground staff was on its maximum efforts but they could not make the ground ready to play and the day was called off at around 4:00 PM.
The weather was pleasant, with clear skies throughout the day. However, the heavy rains from the past few weeks had already caused significant damage, preventing the ground staff from preparing the field adequately. The heavy downpour on the evening of Day 1 further complicated their efforts, making the task even more challenging for the grounds team.
The ground staff put in a tremendous effort, replacing grass patches, using fans to dry the surface, and operating the super soppers since the previous day. Despite their hard work, the results were not as effective as expected. By the first hour of Day 3, rain had resumed, leading to yet another day being called off. This must be highly frustrating for both sets of players.
There was no proper drainage facility at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground and the teams stayed in their hotel rooms. Today, on Day 4, the covers are still on the ground and the condition looks no better and the day is called off.
There have been many instances when the Test matches got abandoned in the past and it seems this test is also going to the list.
If there is any game possible tomorrow, the result of the AFG vs NZ Test is almost unexpected but might be possible if both sides declare their one innings, and then just one innings will decide the result of the AFG vs NZ Test match.
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