“How many demerit points did that pitch get?” - Sunil Gavaskar questions ‘poor’ rating for Indore surface

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed dissatisfaction with the ICC’s decision to give three demerit points to the Indore pitch, giving it a ‘poor’ rating. He questioned why the surface on which the two-day Gabba Test was played in December last year did not get a similar rating.

Australia beat India by nine wickets in a little over two days in the third Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, which ended on Friday (March 3). With the win, the Aussies also confirmed their berth in the World Test Championship final.

Following the game, the ICC deemed the pitch used for the Indore Test as ‘poor’ under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. Disagreeing with ICC’s view, Gavaskar reminded cricket’s governing body of the Gabba Test between Australia and South Africa, telling India Today:

“One thing I would like to know, there was this Test match in November in Brisbane Gabba, where the match finished in 2 days. How many demerit points did that pitch get and who was the match referee there.”

Sharing his thoughts on the Indore surface, the former India captain opined that while there was plenty of turn on offer, the pitch was definitely not dangerous to bat on. The former player said:

“I think 3 demerit points is a little harsh, because, in this pitch, yes the ball turned, but it was not dangerous. When Australia get to a score of 77 for the loss of one wicket it actually tells you that the pitch got a lot better.”

India were all out for 109 and 163 in their two innings in the third Test. Australia were bowled out for 197 before chasing down 76 with ease on Day 3.

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Indore pitch vs Gabba pitch: ICC rating

According to match referee Chris Broad, the pitch for the India-Australia Test in Indore favoured spinners way too much and had excessive and uneven bounce. He said in an ICC release:

“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.”

The pitch used for the Gabba Test between Australia and South Africa, which ended in two days, was given a 'below average' rating with one demerit point. The ICC report on the same had said:

“Overall, the Gabba pitch for this Test match was too much in favour of the bowlers. There was extra bounce and occasional excessive seam movement. The odd delivery also kept low on the second day, making it very difficult for batters to build partnerships.”

Australia beat South Africa by six wickets in a Test dominated by fast bowlers from both teams.