Afghanistan vs New Zealand: A Test Abandoned Without a Ball Bowled | Cricket News

A game of unpredictability and excitement, cricket has its share of unanticipated incidents. One such odd event occurred on Friday at the Greater Noida Stadium during the one-off test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand, when the game was called off without a single ball being played. Relentless rain combined with inadequate facilities resulted in abandonment, the first time in 91 years a Test match on Indian territory was called off without play.

First time in History in India

In the history of cricket, the abandonment of the Afghanistan against New Zealand Test became a historic event. Having staged its first Test match in 1933, India had never seen a match called off without a ball being bowled. Back in 1998, during a game between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Faisalabad, something like this happened last time in Asia. This incident was only the ninth in the 147-year history of cricket worldwide that required a Test match to be called off in this way.

Why Was the Match Abandoned?

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said that based on ongoing rainfall and stadium condition evaluation, the Test was called off. Four days of bad weather and inadequate drainage systems dogged the game, resulting in delays and finally calling for its cancellation. A wet outfield kept conditions unusable even with Friday morning's stadium evaluation scheduled.

Inadequate Greater Noida Stadium Facilities

Inappropriate drainage systems plagued the Greater Noida Stadium, the venue for the game. The city got a lot of rain over the previous week, however several delays resulted from the ground not drying out due to inadequate outfield drainage system. Afghanistan had been invited various locations like Kanpur and Bengaluru to host the game, but they decided on Greater Noida because of scheduling issues with other BCCI events including the Duleep Trophy and the India vs Bangladesh second Test.

Other Tests Abandoned Without a Ball Bowled

The abandonment of a Test match without a ball being bowled is extremely rare. Including the Afghanistan vs New Zealand fixture, this has only happened eight times in cricket history. Here's a look at the previous instances:

1. England vs Australia, Old Trafford, 1890: This was the first instance, where rain on all three days in Manchester led to the Test being abandoned.
2. England vs Australia, Old Trafford, 1938: Once again, Old Trafford saw a Test called off due to rain, this time during a four-day Ashes Test.
3. Australia vs England, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 1970: Rain interrupted the first two Tests of the series, leading to the cancellation of the third Test. However, a one-day game was organized, marking the birth of the first-ever ODI.
4. New Zealand vs Pakistan, Dunedin, 1989: Heavy rain washed out the first two days, and by day three, the Test was abandoned.
5. West Indies vs England, Bourda, 1990: Torrential rains left the outfield under water, causing the abandonment of the second Test.
6. Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, Faisalabad, 1998: Thick fog disrupted visibility, forcing the cancellation of the match.
7. New Zealand vs India, Dunedin, 1998: Rain washed out the game, marking the seventh abandoned Test and the second in Dunedin’s history.

Impact on Both Teams

This Test match was not part of the World Test Championship, but it held significance for both Afghanistan and New Zealand. For New Zealand, this game served as a preparation ahead of their upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka and India. The Kiwis were looking to get familiar with subcontinental conditions, but the weather played spoilsport.

For Afghanistan, this was an opportunity to register their first red-ball victory since 2021. Having played two one-off Tests earlier this year against Sri Lanka and Ireland, they were searching for a breakthrough win in the Test format. Unfortunately, the weather denied them the chance to compete.