GREATER NOIDA: It was a bright and sunny day as one reached the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathak Cricket Stadium here in the morning on Monday. Naturally, the general assumption was that of a full day's play between Afghanistan and New Zealand - the two teams squaring up against each other for the first time in the Test arena.
Players from both sides were out there in the ground, but had to pass their time being involved in some side activities instead of showcasing their cricketing skills on the first day of the Test.
They waited and waited as multiple inspections took place, but the day was finally abandoned by the two umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Sharfuddoula in consultation with match referee Javagal Srinath at 4.05 pm IST. The reason for the abandonment was due to a wet outfield and damp run-up area for the bowlers.
The toss has now been scheduled at 9 am IST on Tuesday. The remaining four days will have 98 overs each with an early start at 9:30 am IST, instead of 10 am. Both teams will hope to start fresh on the second day, but intermittent rain is expected throughout the day on Tuesday with humidity hovering around the 80-85 percent mark.
The sun was out all day on Monday and there was not a single cover on the ground all day, but the drainage facilities and ground equipment at the stadium were far from international standards. The groundstaff kept at it throughout the day. The two super soppers were at work, table fans were used, but to no avail as wet patches on the outfield and the bowlers' run-up remained a concern.
On Sunday, continuous rain from afternoon till the evening had left the ground conditions slushy. After a brief stoppage, it had rained in the night too.
"We're worried about five-six patches inside the 30-yard circle. One area of the run-up does not look good, it's a players' safety issue. We even saw one player getting injured yesterday (on Sunday) as well, we know how hard it is," umpire Dharmasena told the host broadcaster.
About the injury, Dharmasena was referring to Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran, who twisted his ankle while taking a catch during a fielding drill on the eve of the Test at the stadium.
The stadium, managed by Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) rather than the state cricket association, lacks the advanced equipment and resources typical of other international venues in India. The stadium had been banned by the BCCI in Sept 2017 due to match-fixing during corporate matches. No BCCI affiliated match has been hosted here since.
The stadium as a Test match venue has raised questions - albeit on a muted note - especially from the Afghanistan camp.
An Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) official, maintaining confidentiality, said that their preference as a Test match venue was Lucknow. The "complete mismanagement" at the venue, lack of "good training facilities", has also left a distaste among the Afghan players, added the official.
"This is a huge mess. We are never coming back here," the official said.
On Sunday, Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi had made a plea to his own board - the ACB - and the BCCI to give them a permanent "one good venue", while they play their home games in India.
The lack of facilities extended beyond the field. The venue lacked a proper media stand and adequate seating arrangements for fans. The media personnel present faced a lot of problems, including lack of water, power supply, and access to a female washroom. The fans, who had come to the stadium, had no idea what was going on as there was no public announcement system.
