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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the much-hyped pitch used for the day-night Test between India and England at Narendra Modi Stadium as “average.”
As a result, India will not get any points, and the side will face no restrictions after India and England complete the third Test in two days. The ICC updated the pitch rating on its “Rules and Regulations page on Sunday,” and the Motera pitch for the fourth Test against England has been rated “good.”
The pitch used for the 1st T20I between India and England has been rated “very good.” In what could come as a surprise, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) field for the 3rd Test between India and Australia has also been rated as “average.” The pitch for the 2nd Test between India and England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai has also been rated as ‘average’.
The third Test between India and England became a point of huge debate as many former cricketers said 22 yards was not good enough for a five-day Test match. Former cricketers such as Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, and Mark Waugh had criticized the pitch, while Indian skipper Virat Kohli and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin defended the pitch, saying it was just a case of poor batting from both sides.
Speaking of the field, Kohli had said: “There’s always too much noise and talk about running tracks. I’m sure if our media are in a room to refute those views or criticize those ideas that say it’s just spinning tracks unfairly, I think it’s going to be a balanced conversation. The unfortunate thing is that everyone is playing with that story, and they’re going to keep making the news as long as it’s relevant.
The match referee gives the pitch rating in consultation with the match officials (umpires).
