Lucknow pitch used for 2nd India vs New Zealand T20I rated 'average' by the ICC

The controversial pitch at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, used for the second T20I between India and New Zealand in January, has been rated 'average' by International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Javagal Srinath. The contest saw no sixes being hit by either side, with India scraping a last-gasp win following 30 overs of spin being bowled by both teams.

The surface earned the wrath of stand-in Indian skipper Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder labeled the surface a "shocker" during the post-match presentation.

Suryakumar Yadav played an unorthodox knock of 26 runs off 31 deliveries as India chased down the 100-run target with one ball to spare. Hardik said after the match:

"Rather than taking risks, we rotated the strike. having said that, this is a shocker of a pitch. We need to make sure we have better pitches. Even 120 would have been a winning total here."

The curator for the surface was even sacked after the match. The venue is also set to host the home matches of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL).

A similar but more orthodox turning pitch at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi saw the hosts concede an early lead in the three-match series against New Zealand. It also received an average rating from the ICC.

The Men in Blue lost the contest by 21 runs after failing to chase down the 177-run target set by the visitors. Hardik and Co. stuttered at 15-3 in the fourth over and never got their chase under control.

It is to be noted that a pitch is deemed average by the match referee when it "lacks carry, and/or bounce and/or occasional seam movement, but is consistent in carry and bounce".

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Indore pitch for 3rd India vs Australia Test to be made from red soil

The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was shifted to the Holkar Stadium in Indore after the relaid outfield and pitch in Dharamsala were not ready in time to host an international fixture.

The Men in Blue have won both Tests they played at the venue in Madhya Pradesh. They head into the contest on the back of a 2-0 lead over the visitors and are on the brink of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second consecutive time.

According to a source, the pitch in use for the upcoming Test will be made out of red soil. The source told the Times of India:

"There are four pitches in Indore-two of red soil and two of black soil. All indications are that the Test will be played on the red soil pitch. The Indian team is more comfortable with the red soil pitches, as besides offering turn, it affords good bounce, which makes batsmen comfortable."

The third Test between the two sides is scheduled to begin on March 1. Steve Smith is set to lead the Aussies as Pat Cummins will continue to stay in Australia due to a family illness.

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