The rating for the Indore pitch used for this month’s third Test between India and Australia has been controversially upgraded to “below average” after an appeal by the Indian cricket board, the sports’ world body said Monday.
The International Cricket Council had rated the viciously turning deck “poor”, after the match ended midway on day three with Australia winning by nine wickets.
“The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start,” match referee Chris Broad wrote in his report.
“The fifth ball of the match broke through the pitch surface and continued to occasionally break the surface providing little or no seam movement and there was excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match.”
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) filed a review appeal in their attempt to overturn the rating and three demerit points.
The ICC said the appeal panel reviewed the footage of the Test match and “deemed that there was not enough excessive variable bounce to warrant the ‘poor’ rating”.
The new rating now has one demerit point.
If a venue accumulates five or more demerit points, it is suspended for 12 months from hosting any international cricket.
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The decision comes as a surprise after the pitch was roundly slammed for the seven-session Test.
Australian great Mark Waugh was particularly critical of the pitch on the first day of play, saying it was “not up to Test standard”.
“The ball going through the top within the first 20 minutes of the Test match. That’s not good enough,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
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Former teammate Matthew Hayden was even more scathing, telling the host broadcaster: “This is why I’ve got a problem with these conditions. There’s no way in the world that a spin bowler should come on in the sixth over.
“You’ve got to give batters a chance … Day one, day two should be about batting.
“Forget the result, don’t worry about if Australia win or lose or India win or lose, it shouldn’t be like that in Test match cricket.”
India, who won the opening two Tests, clinched the four-match series 2-1 after the fourth and final game ended in a draw.
