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Noida stadium
New Zealand and Afghanistan have travelled to India to play the one-off Test match in Noida. While the game was supposed to start on September 9, the first day was delayed due to a wet outfield. Heavy rains in the last few weeks in Noida didn't allow the outfield to dry, as per the requirement of the game. Hence, after a wait of an entire day, the first day was called off without the toss. Moreover, the chances of day two are bleak since it becomes the safety concerns of the cricketers come into play.
Moreover, Kumar Dharamsena reported that there was a certain level of improvement in the stadium's condition. However, it wasn't worthy of playing a game. The outfield was wet, which could have led to serious injuries to players. Risking player's health is the last thing the Board wants to do. Hence, they called off the day.
"When you compare it with 10 AM, till now there's an improvement but we are worried about five-six patches inside 30-yard circle. One area of the run up doesnt look comfortable, it's a players safety issue. We even saw one player get injured yesterday as well. We know how hard it is. Both of us are concerned," said Kumar Dharamsena.
Day 1 at Greater Noida has been Valle off due to wet outfield. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena and match officials had a long chat before asking both teams to leave for team hotel. There is dampness in the ground, we might see a delayed start on Day 2 as well. @mykhelcom #AFGvsNZ pic.twitter.com/JhRsZZYPrt
— Avinash Sharma (@avinashrcsharma) September 9, 2024
New Zealand to play against India in October
After this Test match, New Zealand will be travelling to India in October to play ODIs and Test matches. The long-form matches are extremely important since they come under the World Test Championship (WTC) 2024. The Kiwis will get good exposure to the conditions while playing against Afghanistan, which will help them in the future.
Moreover, starting from day 2 of the one-off Test match, the time will increase by half an hour at the end of the day to cover up the 1st day's loss, as conveyed by umpire Kumar Dharamsena. This was the first time Afghanistan would lock horns against New Zealand in the Test match set-up.