Sunil Gavaskar blasts Cricket Governing Body for rating Indore Pitch as 'poor'

Sunil Gavaskar (right) (Image credit: Twitter)

The Cricket Governing Body has deemed the Indoor pitch as ‘poor’ after the third Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series ended in just three days with Australia scripting an emphatic nine-wicket victory over India.

The previous two Tests also got wrapped up in three days, but under the committee's Pitch and Outfield monitoring process, this Indore pitch received three demerit points. However, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar did not agree with the authorities' blunt verdict, calling it "harsh".

Like the Nagpur and Delhi Tests, the spinners also had fun in Indore as it showed a 4.8 degree turn on Day 1 of the third Test. Spinners claimed 26 of the 31 wickets that fell over these three days, with 11 attributed to Aussie spin wizard Nathan Lyon. India struggled to score against the Australian bowlers as they managed to set only a mere target of 76 runs for Steve Smith and Co.

Cricket Governing Body match referee Chris Broad felt the pitch was very dry and didn’t provide the right balance between bat and ball, resulting in three demerit points.

Speaking on the pitch, Chris Broad said: “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.”

'Yes the ball turned, but it was not dangerous': Gavaskar

Former India opener Gavaskar, in a chat with India Today, was furious with the committee's verdict on the Indore pitch and gave a reminder of the Gabba pitch that hosted the Test match between Australia and South Africa last November. The Novak Test match between the Aussies and the Proteas witnessed a two-day finish.

Gavaskar asked,

"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?"

"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, he added.

The Gabba pitch was criticised by many, including South Africa skipper Dean Elgar, and received a 'below average' rating from the Cricket Governing Body.