ICC changes Indore Test pitch’s ‘poor’ rating on appeal

The world body has changed it to “below average” which means instead of three demerit points, it will get only one.

The International Cricket Council has improved the original rating of the Indore pitch for the third Test against Australia from ‘poor’ to ‘below average’. It means the Holkar Stadium, facing three demerit points, will now get only one demerit point. Australia won the game, which ended in two days and 75 minutes on a rank turner.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma, left, and coach Rahul Dravid look at the pitch during a practice session (AP)

The ICC rating change followed an appeal by BCCI and was announced on Monday.

“Having reviewed footage of the Test, the ICC appeal panel consisting of Mr Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket, and Mr Roger Harper, ICC Men’s Cricket Committee member, 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, it was deemed that there was not enough excessive variable bounce to warrant the “poor” rating. Instead, the appeal panel concluded that the pitch should be rated “below average”,” an ICC statement said.

“Thanks @BCCI & @ICC for correcting Indore Holkar Stadium pitch rating – termed as poor on March 3. At MPCA, we once again commit ourselves to be one of the best cricketing venues in India. Grateful to all those who helped us in this crisis,” Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) president Abhilash Khandekar tweeted.

In the spin-dominated Test, India were bowled out for 109 and 163, and Australia, dismissed for 197 in the first innings, eased to 78/1 in the second for the win. Spinners took all but two Indian wickets, and 27 of the 31 wickets that fell in the game.

Leading 2-0 in the series, India’s plans to win on another turner backfired after they were skittled out on Day 1. Australia spin trio Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy spun a web around India’s batting.

ICC match referee Chris Broad in his report had said the pitch was “very dry” and “did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start.”

When a venue accumulates five demerit points, it is suspended from hosting international cricket for a year. The rating change will help Indore, which is expected to be a venue for this year’s ODI World Cup.

There is recent precedent of a match referee’s verdict being reversed. After the pitch for the Rawalpindi Test between Pakistan and England (the visitors won) was rated “below average” in December for being too batting friendly, ICC rescinded on an appeal by the Pakistan board.