Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test Match Update: The first two days of the Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand were washed out without a ball being bowled. Overnight rain, coupled with the ground staff’s inability to remove wet patches from the field, created unsafe playing conditions.
Although the sun shone during the day on both days, evening showers prevented the ground from drying completely, leading to the current delay.
Weather Outlook:
According to AccuWeather, clear skies are expected for the remainder of Tuesday, which should allow the toss to take place. However, there’s a 1mm chance of thunderstorms predicted for Wednesday afternoon, potentially disrupting play. Given the challenges of the past two days, even a brief spell of rain could significantly affect the pitch conditions.
An Underprepared Venue
Previously, continuous rain disrupted Afghanistan’s one-week training camp, allowing them to complete just one three-day game instead of the planned two.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s two practice sessions were completely washed out by rain, and on Sunday, they didn’t even step out for routine fielding drills due to the soggy outfield.
Last week, The Indian Express reported on the venue’s poor drainage, soggy outfields, and a flooded practice pitch that the ground staff were attempting to dry with table fans.
An ACB official, speaking anonymously, told The Indian Express, “Our first choice was the Lucknow stadium and the second was Dehradun. However, the BCCI rejected our requests, citing that both locations were hosting their respective T20 leagues. This was the only available ground, and we had no other options left.”
“You might find it hard to believe, but the stadiums in Afghanistan have better facilities than this one. Despite improvements to our infrastructure in recent years, as Shahidi has pointed out, nothing seems to have changed here.”
