We’re frustrated to lose the opportunity to be match-ready, says NZ coach Stead

Greater Noida, Sep 13 (IANS) New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said the most disappointing aspect of their one-off Test against Afghanistan being abandoned without a ball being bowled was not getting the opportunity to be match-ready for the longer format after six months.

Persistent rain and wet outfield at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida meant the first-ever Test match between the two teams never happened. It’s also earned the distinction of becoming just the eighth Test to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.

“It’s worth noting there’s been 1200mm of rain in the last week, and even though it was fine for those two days there were thunderstorms the nights before. The ground was just too soft and the umpires deemed that unfit to play on. Our guys have been in the gym and working away.

“A lot of hallway cricket in the hotel, lots of playing spin and things like that. The most disappointing part for us is that we lost the opportunity to be match-hardened and match-ready when we go into our Test match (against Sri Lanka) next week. The guys are really disappointed. It was an opportunity to play Afghanistan. It doesn’t come around that often.

“They have some unique bowlers – it’s always good to get your head around how you face them. The way they play is a little bit different to other countries. It’s always learning what you can do when you get in those match situations,” said Stead to reporters after the match became a no-show.

The match against Afghanistan was supposed to kick off a run of six Test matches in the subcontinent for New Zealand, who will travel to Sri Lanka tomorrow for a two-match series, before coming to India in October for three matches in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai.

“Even though it was fine for those two days, there were thunderstorms the nights before and the ground was just too soft and the umpires deemed that unfit to play on. So that is sort of out of the players’ hands in a way as well. But we were frustrated.”

“We have come here to play cricket and play a Test match and as Jonathan (Trott, Afghanistan head coach) said, Test cricket, certainly to our group of players that is here, that’s very, very dear to their hearts and every Test you get to play in is a big one.”

“So regardless of whether it has World Test Championship points or not, that opportunity to get out there for five days, it looked a great surface. The whole block looked fantastic, so it would have been a great match of Test cricket.”

New Zealand currently sit third in the World Test Championship table, behind current champions Australia and India. Talking about its remaining five Tests in Sri Lanka and India, which are crucial for New Zealand to get into the final, Stead remarked, “We want to make the finals again. We’ve been there once in the past, and we are desperate to get there again. So every Test match we play will be an important one.”

“The conditions that we face in Galle will be, I’m sure, different to Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai when we come back here again. So it’s still about adapting to the different surfaces where I’m learning from those. But also banking the knowledge you have created in the past even though it’s been a couple of (sessions of) trainings out there, we’d still bank on what we’ve learnt on those sort of pitches,” he concluded.

–IANS

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