Noida Test: Rain plays spoilsport on Day 4 too

Greater Noida, Sep 12: It was the fourth day in succession when rain, wet outfield and bad ground conditions forced umpires to abandon play in the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand at Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, here on Thursday. 

Persistent rain and adverse ground conditions once again prompted match officials to call off the day before the scheduled start at 9.30 am. 

As per weather records, there has been more than 1200 mm of rain over seven days in Greater Noida, which clearly indicates that an international cricket match had little chance in such situations.

With four days of play being abandoned without even toss, the question remains will there be any play at all on the final day. 

If the Test match is abandoned without any play on Friday (the fifth and final day of the game), it would be the 8th Test match of similar fate. 

Of the seven abandoned Test matches (out of the nearly 2,500 Tests so far), New Zealand have been involved on two occasions.

Similarly, 12 Test matches have been cancelled till date, with the Black Caps being one of the teams on four games. 

However, Afghanistan, who earned Test status late, never were involved in either an abandoned or a cancelled Test match.

Interestingly, India, the hosts of the ongoing one-off Test between the Kiwis and the Afghans, were involved in an abandoned game against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1998.

Similarly, the Karachi Test between India and arch rivals Pakistan was cancelled in November 1984, after the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984.