Australia coach Andrew McDonald makes 'extreme' remark on ICC's rating for Indore pitch after 'incredible achievement'

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald did not engage in making a comment on ICC's verdict but rather made an "extreme" remark on the pitches provided in the ongoing series.

The pitches in India have garnered more attention than India's unassailable 2-0 lead after New Delhi match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and the heavy nine-wicket loss in the third Test. India skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that "it's getting too much", but the talk continues. At present, it pertains to the raging turner of a track that was laid in Indore's Holkar Stadium, which later received a "poor" rating from the ICC and was handed three demerit points. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald did not engage in making a comment on ICC's verdict but rather made an "extreme" remark on the pitches provided in the ongoing series.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald

India were handed a massive defeat by Australia, who claimed their first win in the nation since their colossal victory in Pune in 2017. The hosts subsequently suffered their first ever loss on home soil in two years. Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon played the leading role in Australia's act, picking 11 wickets, including an eight-fer in the second innings as India were folded for scores of 109 and 163 in the third Test. Matthew Kuhnemann picked six wickets, which comprised a five-wicket haul in the opening innings as Australia wrapped up the match within seven sessions.

ICC Match Referee Chris Broad submitted his assessment of Indore track after the match ended on Friday morning which read: “The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start."

When asked to comment on ICC's verdict, McDonald remained reluctant and expressed that while they are doing their job by playing the match, ICC is doing the job by assessing pitches after every match. However, he concluded his statement by taking a dig at India.

"I mean, our job is to play on the pitch. So whatever they they roll up, our job is to problem solve what's in front of us. So that's for others to work through," McDonald told reporters in Indore. "I mean the ICC are…yeah, they give every pitch a rating and they gave this one a poor. So you know we don't talk when they give it a good rating. So it's up to them how they want to navigate through that. So the conditions were extreme. I think they've been extreme for all three test matches."

McDonald also shed light on Australia's win in India which helped them pull one back in the contest and now aim to draw the series when they head to Ahmedabad next week for the final tie.

"Yeah mentally draining on the players, on everyone involved, I think, and even the fans, I think, would have went through that as well. You know to win in that style as well with Travis (Head) and Marnus (Labuschagne) at the end there. That probably went against the whole trend of the game. One down for 78 to get home was an incredible achievement. And I think the validation of the players is that the plans and the method in the way that we go about it can work. And that was proven that last few days," he said.