IND vs AUS: BCCI challenge ICC to review its pitch rating in India vs Australia 3rd Test in Indore: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have formally taken a step to challenge and protest against the ‘poor’ rating accorded to the Indore pitch where India vs Australia 3rd test match was conducted. In the official mail sent to the ICC, the BCCI sought a re-evaluation of Indore’s playing surface, which was done by Match Referee Chris Broad.
Notably, match referee Chris Broad handed a ‘poor’ rating to the Holkar Stadium in Indore after the IND vs AUS 3rd test ended within three days of play. Along with the ‘poor’ rating, the stadium also received a demerit point with poses a danger of suspension of the ground, when accumulated five demerit points or more than that in the five-year period.
“When a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.”
The IND vs AUS 3rd Test match in Holkar Stadium, Indore got wrapped up within three days. The Aussies made a brilliant turn-around following two consecutive defeats in the opening two test matches.
As per the reports, the Indian cricket board reckons that the decision by the match referee was given without thoroughly evaluating the surface and in haste. The adjudication of the pitch came just hours after the test ended, which was unusual as ICC takes a fair bit of time to access the conditions before passing a formal judgement.
Following the protest from the BCCI, the two-member committee of the ICC will look into the objection raised by the concerned cricket board. The two-member committee include Sourav Ganguly as the chairman of the Cricket Committee and Wasim Khan as General Manager.
It’s noteworthy that as it’s the BCCI’s protest, the ICC may appoint some other official to look into the matter in place of Sourav Ganguly, who served as the BCCI president previously.
The re-evaluation of the pitch will be done within 14 days after the complaint has been raised.
“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,” Chris Broad was quoted as saying by the ICC.
Meanwhile, team India sealed the four-match IND vs AUS test series by 2-1 and sealed a place of itself in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 Final. India will now take on Australia in the ICC WTC Final which will be held in Oval, London, starting June 7.
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