Australia won the five-Test series 3-1 and regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.
The ICC has announced the pitch ratings for the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 between Australia and India. The series was played across five venues- Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney and saw hosts Australia win by a 3-1 margin.
Four of the five matches in the enthralling Test series between Australia and India have received a 'very excellent' rating, the highest on the ICC pitch ranking scale.
The surfaces at Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba, and Melbourne Cricket Ground, which hosted the first four Tests, were all assessed as 'very good'. Meanwhile, the surface for the final Test in Sydney obtained a 'satisfactory' rating, the second highest on the ICC scale.
In 2023, the ICC changed its pitch rating system from six to four categories: very excellent, satisfactory, poor, and unfit.
Peter Roach, CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling said: “We are delighted by the quality of pitches produced for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and grateful for all the hard work of the curators and venues across the country.
We encourage pitches that bring out that venue's unique characteristics, which have long been a feature of Australian cricket. We strongly believe that this is one of the reasons that Test cricket is so popular in Australia.”
“We don't look to prepare wickets that favor the home side or suit our situation in a series. What we seek is a good contest between bat and ball and pitches that are likely to produce a result,” he added.
India started well with a 295-run win over Australia in Perth, but then the hosts dominated the proceedings, winning the Adelaide Test by 10 wickets. The Brisbane Test was drawn due to rain, and India lost the Melbourne Test due to poor batting, while the Sydney Test was a total surrender to Australia.
This 3-1 series win meant that Australia also claimed the order-Gavaskar Trophy, which they last won in 2014-15.
Australia's victory in the series earned them a place in the World Test Championship 2025 final, where they will meet South Africa at Lord's in June.
(ICC inputs)