The one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand was scheduled to be played at the Greater Noida Sports Complex from 9 September to 13 September. This is the 8th Test match in International cricket history to get abandoned without a single ball being bowled. It was 26 years ago something like this happened and that match also was supposed to be played by New Zealand. It was against the Indian cricket team and was scheduled to be played at Carisbrook, Dunedin in December of 1998.
All Test matches that got abandoned
Match | Venue | Date |
ENG vs AUS | Old Trafford, Manchester | 25 Aug 1890 |
ENG vs AUS | Old Trafford, Manchester | 8 Jul 1938 |
AUS vs ENG | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 31 Dec 1970 |
NZ vs PAK | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 3 Feb 1989 |
WI vs ENG | Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana | 10 Mar 1990 |
PAK vs ZIM | Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad | 17 Dec 1998 |
NZ vs IND | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 18 Dec 1998 |
AFG vs NZ | Greater Noida Sports Complex | 9 Sep 2024 |
How has India been involved in the last two such instances?
A Test match getting abandoned without a single ball being bowled is a rare instance because it is played across five days. It has only happened on 8 occasions. The last time it happened was between India and New Zealand in 1998 and now 26 years later, it again happened during a New Zealand match but this time they were up against a different Asian side. However, the last time India was playing that match and this time around a ground in India was hosting the clash.
The Noida Stadium will be reviewed by the referee like it is done after the match and there are chance that the ICC referee may give demerit points to both the pitch and the ground. If it gives 3 for the pitch and 3 for the ground to Noida stadium. It will be declared unfit with 6 points and it will be suffering a suspension. There are chances that the Referee may also mention the basic facilities in its reports.
Although, as not even see a single ball was delivered throughout the five days on the ground, there is a very unlikely chance of it being rated unfit and a similar thing might also come into consideration for the outfield. The referee also considers the amount of rain that the game venue witnessed which could have led to those conditions. So it might get categorized as unsatisfactory.
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