BCCI may challenge ‘poor’ rating given to Indore pitch used for 3rd IND vs AUS Test - Reports

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may challenge International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Chris Broad’s decision to give a 'poor' rating to the Indore pitch on which the third India-Australia Test was played.

The Aussies stunned India by nine wickets in a little over two days at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. India were bowled out for 109 and 163 in their two innings on a pitch that offered plenty of turn from Day 1.

Following the early conclusion of the Test match, Broad gave a ‘poor’ rating to the surface, as a result of which the venue was penalized with three demerit points.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the BCCI is pondering upon contesting the rating. A BCCI official was quoted as saying in the report:

“We will take stock of the situation and decide.”

In ICC’s official statement, match referee Broad said while commenting about the Indore surface:

“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.”

Last year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) challenged the match referee’s decision to hand a ‘below average’ rating to the pitch used for the Rawalpindi Test against England. They won the challenge and got the demerit point canceled.

As per ICC rules, BCCI can contest the decision over pitch rating within 14 days. Any venue that gets five demerit points over a five-year rolling period will be suspended from hosting international matches for a year.

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“Haven’t received any instructions from the Indian team management” - GCA source on pitch for 4th Test

With the rank turner in Indore backfiring on India, there is a lot of curiosity over the kind of surface that will be prepared for the fourth Test in Ahmedabad.

According to PTI, a source close to the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) has said that the team management hasn't given any input on the kind of pitch they want. The source said:

"We haven't received any instructions from the Indian team management, and our local curators are preparing a normal track as we have always done through the season."

The fourth Test of the India-Australia series will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from March 9 to 13.