Despite a rain-free morning and bright sunshine later in the day, play on the third day of the second Test between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium was abandoned without a single ball being bowled. Unexpected reason? A ‘wet outfield’. Frustration grew as both teams remained in their hotels while match officials inspected the field three times, all without cover. But no play took place, resulting in two days being lost due to rain. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) pitch curator Shiv Kumar said that everything is under control in Kanpur. But he admitted he was confused by the match officials’ objections. “They gave us three different times for inspection but never told us what the problem was. Which area was wet or whatever the problem is. I told him you can start the match but if you have any concerns, let me know,’ he told IANS.
With the morning and lunch sessions already wasted, match referee Jeff Crowe made several inspections, but wet patches on the field, particularly in the deep mid-wicket area near Pavilion C, left him dissatisfied.
The wet 30-yard circle also remained a matter of concern, due to which the pitch had to be inspected till 2 pm. Crowe, along with reserve umpire Virender Sharma and TV umpire Rod Tucker, insisted on a further delay, hoping for the affected areas to dry out in the sun before allowing play to resume.
Ahead of the third inspection scheduled for 2pm, a senior ground official told IANS that the match officials wanted the ground to be dried with natural light, but they were never told about the exact area of the wet patch.
“The match officials have asked us to wait for natural light, only then we can continue the game. The pitch and the rest of the field are absolutely good, there are some areas of concern but we can start the game.”
“If they wanted to wait for sunlight, they should have timed the next inspection for 1 pm, because a little bit of sunlight is always there which will dry out the concerned area in an hour. We have already lost two sessions, the next inspection at 2 pm will prompt us to cancel the match,” a ground official working at the stadium told IANS.
Spectators coming from different parts of the state expressed their disappointment with the ground facilities at Green Park, leaving them disappointed and demanded the UPCA to take good care of one of the oldest stadiums in the country, which has been hosting Test matches since 1952. Hosting cricket.
“I feel very bad, Green Park is one of the oldest stadiums and we have got a Test match after three years. The game should have continued for all five days, UPCA and the match organizers are to be blamed for this. They are not taking proper care of it. We are coming from different parts of the state and investing money to watch the match, but what is the point,” said a fan from Fatehpur.
Another fan from Kanpur said, “This green park should get something, everything is going wrong here. The atmosphere makes it seem as if there are so many facilities But they also cannot organize matches on days when it is properly sunny. Green Park should not get the match, I would be happy to travel to Lucknow or Varanasi but not Green Park.”
The teams have played only 35 overs so far in the entire match, Bangladesh’s score is 107 runs for 3 wickets. The delays have led to fresh criticism of the stadium’s drainage system, as well as questions over its preparedness to host international games.
When rain disrupted proceedings on the first day, the ground staff worked to dry the surface by using sawdust and covering the ground, but the efforts were in vain. Despite the tireless efforts of 75 groundsmen, wet patches persisted, frustrating the thousands of spectators in the stands who were eager to watch the Test match.
This is not the first time such issues have come to light. It brought back memories of the recent Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Greater Noida – when the match was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to the poor condition of the outfield earlier this month.
Venue director, Sanjay Kapoor assured before the start of the game that, “We guarantee a five-day match here at the Green Park Stadium and we have made sure that everything is fine. We are prepared for rain but I assure you that even if it rains, we will start the game in an hour or two.
BCCI sources have suggested to IANS that the Green Park Stadium may be deprived of hosting future international matches, as Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium – a state-of-the-art facility with better infrastructure – is emerging as a preferred option.
Apart from being the home ground of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and hosting the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup games, the Ekana Stadium has already hosted a Test match between Afghanistan and West Indies. It is all set to host the upcoming Irani Cup game between Rest of India and Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai from October 1-5.
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