ICC passes stunning verdicts on Delhi, Nagpur pitches after India steamroll Australia twice inside 3 days in BGT: Report
Following Australia's back-to-back series defeats against India in the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the ICC has reportedly passed a rating on the pitches of Nagpur and Delhi.
Following Australia's back-to-back series defeats against India in the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the ICC has reportedly passed a rating on the pitches of Nagpur and Delhi. As per reports in Australian media The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, the ICC and match referee has given an 'average' rating to both pitches. An average rating indicates that the pitch was fair, if not perfect, a stark comparison to the outcome during Australia's previous Test tour of India in 2017 where the Pune pitch was rated poor by Chris Broad, and the Bengaluru surface handed a 'below average' verdict. The official confirmation isn't out yet though.

"After the pitches were the subject of enormous discussion before the series, senior cricket sources told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald the surface in Nagpur has been handed an 'average' rating from the ICC and its match referee, Zimbabwe's Andy Pycroft," the report said.
"The strip for the second Test in Delhi, where Australia pushed India for two days before falling in a heap on the third, was also given an 'average' rating by Pycroft, meaning that the surface was deemed fair if not perfect."
The pitch-debate which garnered plenty of attention for its 'unsporting' nature, as it turned out, was on baseless grounds as the Indian batters fared a lot better than their Australian counterparts. Even as Australia were bowled out for 177 and 91 in Nagpur, Indians batted out of their skins to put up a total of 400 in the only innings they needed to bat in. Australia were a lot better in the first innings of the Delhi Test but it still wasn't enough to salvage a series-levelling win.
In both games, Australia had India on the mat, but game-changing partnerships for India lower down the order bailed the home team out of trouble. Australia, however, stumbled poorly in second innings of both Tests, more so in Delhi, where they lost 9 wickets inside a single session.
Not to forget that two of Australia's spinner picked five-wicket-hauls. In Delhi, debutant Todd Murphy claimed 7/124 in the first innings, while it was Nathan Lyon who rocked India with a five-wicket-haul in the first innings. In fact, Australia had nosed ahead by one run, but the second innings is where Australian batters are hurting the most. At the Feroz Shah Kotla ground, Australia's ambitious plan backfired as they went for one sweep shot too many, which eventually led to their downfall.
With India officially retaining the Border-Gavaskar for the third series in a row, the onus is now of Australia to bounce back and level the series; however, it's going to be easier said than done. Josh Hazelwood and David Warner have already been ruled out of the series while left-arm spinner Ashton Agar too has headed back home as part of a major overhaul that is expected to take place before the third Test begins in Indore from March 1.
