It wasn’t an ideal build-up to a Test match. As it rained throughout the day, the groundsmen ran from one end of the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium to another hoping to get the pitch covered.
The players from Afghanistan and New Zealand had a few moments of laughter in the dressing room balcony after they were forced to miss out on a large part of their training session on the eve of the one-off Test.
Ever since their arrival, both teams have been greeted by incessant rain and soggy outfields. That’s not all, doubts remain on how the wicket will hold up during the course of the game. | Photo Credit: R. V. Moorthy / The Hindu
As the venue lacked state-of-the-art facilities, the ground staff had to use rubber tyres and trash cans to ensure that the tarpaulin sheet, covering the pitch, did not blow off due to strong winds.
With rain and moderate thunderstorms forecast for the next few days, doubt remains on whether it would be possible to have a full-fledged game.
However, both teams were not willing to think too much about the weather and focused on their respective strategies.
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Afghanistan will be featuring in its 10th Test match in six years, and it will be for the first time that the Asian nation will play a red-ball fixture against New Zealand, which also returns to the format after a six-month gap.
Ever since their arrival, both teams have been greeted by incessant rain and soggy outfields. That’s not all, doubts remain on how the wicket will hold up during the course of the game.
“Conditions are foreign to what we are used to, but we are excited about the chance of playing six Test matches on the bounce here in the sub-continent,” said Tim Southee, the New Zealand captain.
Southee, the captain of New Zealand, talks to reporters on the eve of the Test Match at Greater Noida. | Photo Credit: R. V. Moorthy / The Hindu
For the visiting team, this game is more of a preparatory outing ahead of five Tests against Sri Lanka and India respectively.
While the batting will revolve around Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra, a lot will depend on how the spin department fares under Ajaz Patel, who returns to India for the first time since his 10-wicket haul in Mumbai in 2021.
Afghanistan will be without the services of its star spinner Rashid Khan, who’s on a break from red-ball format, and Ibrahim Zadran, who was ruled out with an ankle sprain on his left leg.
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But the home team looked confident. “We have more talented guys, it’s an opportunity for them to make their names in the world of cricket,” said Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Though Shahidi, Afghanistan’s captain, did not want to divulge his strategy, he insisted that there was enough firepower | Photo Credit: R. V. Moorthy / The Hindu
Zahir Khan and Zia-ur-Rehman will lead the spin attack in Rashid’s absence, while the team has named three uncapped players - opening batter Riaz Hassan, off-spin allrounder Shams Ur Rahman and fast bowler Khalil Ahmed - in its 16-member squad.
Though Shahidi did not want to divulge his strategy, he insisted that there was enough firepower. “We have talented players, and we can do well in every department. It’s (New Zealand is) tough, but if we play to our strength, we can beat any team,” he said.
The match is schedule to start at 10 am IST.
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