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ICC has changed the pitch rating for Indore from “poor” to “below average” following an appeal by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“In response to an appeal by the Board of Control for Cricket in India under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, the pitch rating for the third Test of the ICC World Test Championship series between India and Australia at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore from 1-3 March has been changed from “poor” to “below average,” according to ICC.
The pitch came under immense scrutiny during the third test of the Border–Gavaskar tournament. The ICC appeal panel consisted of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager, and Roger Harper, ICC Men’s Cricket Committee Member. They reviewed footage from the match after BCCI appealed.
ICC Broad states that “the very dry pitch unbalanced bat and ball, favouring spinners from the onset.” Beginning with the fifth ball, the surface broke occasionally. As a result, there was little or no seam movement and an excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match.”
ICC Match Referee Chris Broad submitted a report to the ICC expressing match officials’ concerns. After consulting with both captains, Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith, the decision was made. As a result of the assessment, the venue received three demerit points.