Indore pitch rated 'poor' by ICC

|| CF DESK ||

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the pitch used for the third test between India and Australia in Indore as 'poor'.

The 3rd Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was held at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Hours after the Test match ended with Australia winning it by 9 wickets the global cricket body's rating for the pitch came.

The pitches that were used in Nagpur and Delhi for the first two Tests were given an average rating by the ICC. Both those Tests also ended within 3 days with spinners dominating from start to finish.

The match referee for the Indore Test, Chris Broad, came up with a sharp assessment of the spin-friendly conditions, saying they did not favour the balance between bat and ball.

"The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start," Broad said.

"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," he added.

The pitch at the Holkar Stadium received three demerit points as a result. A venue that accumulates five demerit points over a five-year period is suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months.