The Indore pitch has received “poor” rating from the International Cricket Council.
The third Test at the Holkar Stadium in Indore finished in two days and a session as Australia defeated India by nine wickets.
As a result, the apex body awarded three demerit points to the Indore pitch. Match referee Chris Broad in his report said that the pitch was not a fair competition between the bat and ball.
“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,” Chris Broad said in a statement issued by ICC.
However, ICC’s decision to award demerit points to the Indore track has left batting legend Sunil Gavaskar furious.
Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar said he would like to know how many demerit points were given to the Gabba pitch, when Australia defeated South Africa in December 2022.
"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," Gavaskar stated.
Notably, Gabba had received a rating of below average for favouring bowlers and was given one demerit point.
"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," the ICC report read.
“I found the pitch to be “below average” as per the ICC guidelines since it was not an even contest between bat and ball," it further added.
Gavaskar feels the ICC was too harsh on the Indore pitch, despite it not being dangerous for the batters.
"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," Gavaskar said.
The fourth Test between India and Australia will be held in Ahmedabad from March 9.