Sports
Noida Stadium’s bad defeat: Utensils washed with washroom water, ground dried with fans, Afghanistan-New Zealand Test could not start
The cricket test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand to be held in Greater Noida could not start on the second day as well. The first day was not played due to rain and the second day was marred by mismanagement. There was no rain on Tuesday but the outfield was very wet.
The second day of the only Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand suffered the same miserable fate as the first due to rain in Greater Noida, albeit not during hours of play, and the quality of the outfield.
The toss was scheduled half an hour earlier at 9am, to make up for day one being abandoned, but at 8.55 am came the announcement that conditions were unfit for play and that there would be an inspection at 12pm.
The message on the broadcast at 9.10am was that “a thunderous overnight downpour last evening from 6pm, for 90 minutes, at one stage left the outfield completely and utterly flooded.” The moisture underfoot remained a major concern and there was little hope the ground would be fit for play by noon.
The ground-staff used electric fans to try and dry a few wet patches on the outfield. They cut out blocks of dry grass the practice nets and transplanted them on a damp region in the 30-yard circle. Despite the sun baking down, the ground wasn’t ready at noon and another inspection was planned for 3pm.
New Zealand’s players arrived at the ground around 12:25pm, and a practice net was installed next to the main pitch so that they could practice. The spinners Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santer began to bowl first and were soon joined by the fast bowlers, while Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell had a hit. The Afghanistan players, on the other hand, did not arrive at the venue.
Play was called off on the second day at 2.55 pm, with the toss yet to take place.
