‌New Zealand and Afghanistan set to play one-off Test in India

Afghanistan, who earned their Test status in June 2017, have featured in nine Tests since then and won only three. They are set to welcome New Zealand for a one-off Test from September 9-13, approximately a month from the latter’s tour to India, starting October 16. The Kiwis are also likely to tour Sri Lanka for a series in between but the exact fixture is yet to be determined.

The fact that the Test will be hosted at the Greater Noida Sports Complex, Noida makes the encounter even more interesting. This will also be the first international red-ball game at the venue.

This leaves us with Australia, England, Pakistan, and South Africa as the only teams yet to play a long-format game against the Atalans. While the Aussies were slated to lock horns with them in 2021, the Australian Cricket Board refused to host them, stating humanitarian reasons. They also pulled out a T20I series in 2023, for similar reasons. 

The Afghanistan unit have played a couple of Tests in the calendar year 2024, failing to register a win against Sri Lanka and Ireland, in the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground and the Tolerance Oval respectively. They’ll be hopeful to reach greater heights on their tenth Test.