The first day of the Test match between New Zealand and Afghanistan at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to a wet outfield. Despite favorable weather, with the sun shining throughout the day, the drainage facilities were unable to fully dry the playing area.
The area had been affected by continuous rain over the past few days. According to chief curator Amit Sharma, the primary challenge was keeping the outfield ready despite the rain. On Monday, there were no covers on the ground, and the super-soppers were in use, but the wet outfield and bowler run-ups were not safe for play.
Multiple inspections took place throughout the day, with the final one scheduled for 4:30 pm local time. However, stumps were called earlier at 4:05 pm. The toss is now scheduled for 9:00 am tomorrow, and the remaining four days will feature 98 overs each, with an early start at 9:30 am instead of 10:00 am.
Both teams are now hoping that the rain and moderate thunderstorms forecast for the week do not interfere with the rest of the match.
Although the match is not part of the World Test Championship, it provides New Zealand with an opportunity to acclimatize to subcontinental conditions ahead of their upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka and India.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, is looking for their first Test win since 2021, having played two one-off Tests earlier this year.
