The second day of the one-off Afghanistan-New Zealand Test in Greater Noida has been called off as well, despite no rain during the playing hours.
The toss for the Test, scheduled to begin on September 9, has not taken place yet with the on-field umpires suggesting that the outfield had plenty of wet patches and was, therefore, unfit for play. After day one of the Test was called off, the second day met with a similar fate despite no rain during the playing hours.
The Greater Noida Sports Complex, hosting its first Test match, saw plenty of rain in the week leading up to the match, but the sun beat down on the first day of the game. There was a heavy downpour on Monday evening, with scattered thundershowers, which further proved detrimental for the outfield.
The outfield at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, hosting the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand, was dug up to fix a wet patch on day two after no play was possible on day one.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 10, 2024
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On Tuesday, the day began with the ground staff digging up the wet patches and replacing them with artificial turf, followed by them using fans to dry the surface. The super soppers were in action as well throughout Tuesday but it was not enough to dry out the outfield, which was responsible for an injury to Ibrahim Zadran during the training session.
Why was the game played at Greater Noida?
Afghanistan do not have a home venue and have been playing their games in India, with Greater Noida being one of the venues they have played at besides Lucknow and Dehradun. Afghanistan have previously played five ODIs and six T20Is at the venue in the past.
According to reports, the Afghanistan team were eager to play the Test against New Zealand in either Lucknow or Dehradun, but with the two cities hosting different T20 leagues, the match was assigned to Greater Noida.
The conditions have, however, left the ACB officials displeased. “This is a huge mess; we are never coming back here. The players are also unhappy with the facilities here. We had spoken with the concerned people well in advance and were assured by the stadium guys that everything will be in order,” an official told Hindustan Times. "Nothing has changed since we came here. It's not improved one bit.”
There is heavy rain predicted for Tuesday evening too, which could also put the third day's play in jeopardy.
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