Indore Cricket stadium. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The International Cricket Council today announced that the pitch for the third Test of the ICC World Test Championship series between India and Australia at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore has been rated as “poor” under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
ICC Match Referee Chris Broad submitted his report to the ICC expressing the concerns of the match officials and after consulting with captains of both teams. Following the assessment, the venue has received three demerit points.
The report has been forwarded to the BCCI, who now have 14 days if they wish to appeal against the sanction.
Mr Broad said: “The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start. 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.”
After India won the first two Tests of the four-match series, the third game at Indore landed in Australia’s favor. As a result of the victory, Australia were able to seal their World Test Championship final berth, which is scheduled to take place in June this year at The Oval.
The game witnessed India being skittled out in both their innings, as well as the visitors losing all their ten wickets in their first innings with the bat. The game concluded in the first session of Day 3 as Australia clinched a nine-wicket victory, thereby taking the series at 1-2.
India now need to win the fourth and final Test of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy in order to seal the last WTC final spot. Though a victory would confirm India’s place in the summit clash, a loss would open doors for Sri Lanka to try their luck for the championship. India and Australia will now lock horns at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 9.
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