Afghanistan and New Zealand are waiting anxiously for the start of the test due to wet outfield

Greater Noida: Poor drainage facilities played a role again on Tuesday as Afghanistan's Test match against New Zealand at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex went by without a single toss for the second day in a row. Despite some sunny spells on the first two days of the Test, the outfield remained wet and unplayable. Heavy rain on Monday night did not help matters, but even the lack of a coin toss does not reflect well on the preparations at the Greater Noida venue, which will host the first-ever Test.

Although the ground has already hosted five ODIs and six T20Is for Afghanistan, its suitability for Test cricket will have to be scrutinised closely. The National Capital Region (NCR) has seen unusually heavy rain in recent weeks.

The midwicket area at the end of the pavilion appears to be particularly problematic in the outfield. Ground staff have been digging out the wet patches in this area and have also used table fans to dry other parts of the outfield, but their measures have so far been unsuccessful.

After inspections at 12pm and 3pm on Tuesday, it was confirmed that ICC umpire Javagal Srinath had decided to abandon play for today. Both teams remained in their hotel rooms during the morning session. A few New Zealand players made their way to the centre in the afternoon to do some net practice, but that was about it.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) issued a statement on Tuesday evening saying it had also considered Kanpur and Bengaluru as possible venues before settling on Greater Noida.

“Unfortunately, the other two were unavailable due to BCCI domestic matches and the extreme heat in the UAE made them unsuitable for hosting a Test,” the statement said. “Given New Zealand's busy schedule, we have chosen Greater Noida to ensure that this important match takes place. It is currently monsoon season in India and persistent rain has also affected India's domestic competitions. While we cannot control the weather, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has provided us with additional equipment and further efforts are being made to create ideal conditions for the start of play.”