Match referee Javagal Srinath’s report on the preparedness of Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex here will go a long way in deciding the fate of the venue which is under the scanner after the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand failed to get underway on successive days.

For once, the BCCI, which often becomes the favourite whipping boy, isn’t responsible for the mess. The home board is the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which selected a familiar and cost-effective venue despite being offered the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore and Green Park in Kanpur as options.
The BCCI hasn’t hosted any of its domestic games here since 2019 (Vijay Hazare Trophy).