India March 27(IM): The International Cricket Council ICC has changed the rating for the third Test between India and Australia, which was held in Indores Holkar Stadium. The apex body had given poor rating to the pitch after the match ended well within three days, in a 9 wicket victory for the tourists. The ICC has now changed its verdict on the pitch, calling it below average.
In a statement, the ICC said: The pitch for the third Test of the Border Gavaskar series was initially rated as poor and received three demerit points. However, after an appeal from the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI, the rating has been changed from poor to below average.
The ICC appeal panel consisting of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager Cricket, and Roger Harper, ICC Mens Cricket Committee Member, reviewed footage from the match after the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI had lodged an appeal on the rating. The Indian team was also penalised with 3 demerit points following the poor rating. With the revised rating, the demerit points have also been reduced to 1.
Giving an explanation for the change in rating, the ICC said in its statement: Both were of the opinion that, while the guidelines had been followed by the Match Referee in accordance with Appendix A of the Pitch Monitoring Process, there was not enough excessive variable bounce to warrant the poor rating.
The panel, therefore, concluded that the pitch should be rated below average, meaning the Holkar Stadium will receive only one demerit point instead of the original three.
Pitches have been in the spotlight almost the entire Border Gavaskar Trophy. The first two Test venues of the series were given average rating by the BCCI. While the first three matches of the series hugely favoured spinners, the fourth Test saw a completely flat track being laid at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match ended in a dull draw, with the batters of both the teams piling up mountains of runs. The Ahmedabad pitch was given average rating by the ICC.
The ICC match referee however gave very good rating to the the Wankhede Stadium and Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam pitches, where the first two ODIs between India and Australia were played.
source : NDTV
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