7 Test Matches in Cricket History Abandoned Without a Ball Bowled: One More Could Join This Rare List

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Cricket, despite being a game full of uncertainties, rarely sees the complete abandonment of a match without a single ball bowled. However, with persistent rain disrupting the one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Greater Noida, the match is on the verge of entering the rare club of Tests that have been called off without any play. If this happens, it would become only the eighth such instance in the sport's history.

The match, scheduled to begin earlier this week, has seen no play for four consecutive days due to wet outfield and relentless rain. With the toss postponed on each occasion, the match officials were forced to call off play day after day. Thursday marked the fourth straight day of abandonment.

If the final day follows suit, this Test will become only the eighth in history to be abandoned without any cricketing action. Historically, only seven Test matches have been abandoned without a ball bowled in cricket's long history of over 2,500 Test matches.

The first three of these rare instances took place during Ashes encounters between Australia and England, beginning with the very first match at Old Trafford, Manchester, in 1890. The captains did not even come out for the toss due to relentless rain, marking this as the first-ever Test to be completely washed out.

Another such incident occurred in 1938, again at Old Trafford, during another Ashes series. The rain-drenched Test saw no toss, no action, and ended in complete abandonment, adding to the already unpredictable nature of English weather.
The third occurrence was in 1970 at Melbourne Cricket Ground. During the New Year's Ashes Test, players were preparing to take the field when the rain began. After discussions between officials, it was decided to cancel the match and instead hold what would later become the first-ever One Day International (ODI).

It wasn't until the late 20th century that four more such events happened. In February 1989, New Zealand and Pakistan's Test in Carisbrook, Dunedin, suffered the same fate, with heavy rain sweeping the area. A similar scenario unfolded in 1990 during England's tour of the West Indies in Georgetown, Guyana, where a Test was called off due to persistent downpours. Interestingly, in both cases, the teams played limited-over matches instead.

Later in December 1998, two more abandoned Tests were recorded. First, Pakistan's Test against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad saw no play, followed by New Zealand's Test against India in Dunedin, where the rain did not relent.

Here is a list of the 7 Test matches that were abandoned without a ball being bowled

1. Australia vs England

Date: 25 August 1890
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England

2. Australia vs England

Date: 8 July 1938
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England

3. Australia vs England

Date: 31 December 1970
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia

4. New Zealand vs Pakistan

Date: 3 February 1989
Venue: Carisbrook, Dunedin, New Zealand

5. England vs West Indies

Date: 10 March 1990
Venue: Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana

6. Pakistan vs Zimbabwe

Date: 17 December 1998
Venue: Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, Pakistan

7. New Zealand vs India

Date: 18 December 1998
Venue: Carisbrook, Dunedin, New Zealand

If the Afghanistan-New Zealand Test is washed out entirely, it will become only the eighth such game in cricket's long history to face this unusual outcome. This raises questions about the preparedness of the venue in Greater Noida, as days of rain and a wet outfield have so far prevented any play.