In a major embarrassment for the BCCI, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday rated the track at Nagpur, which hosted the third Test between India and South Africa, as “poor”, triggering a review of the performance of the pitch under the ICC Pitch Monitoring Process.
In accordance with Clause 3 of the Process, ICC Match Referee Jeff Crowe submitted his report to the ICC expressing the concerns of the match officials over the performance of the pitch. This report has been forwarded to the BCCI, which has 14 days to provide its response.
The pitch at the Vidarbha cricket ground, which is BCCI president Shashank Manohar’s home association, saw ample turn from the first day resulting in the match being over within three days.
After the BCCI submits its response, ICC’s General Manager (Cricket), Geoff Allardice, and ICC’s Chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle will consider all the evidence, including studying video footage of the match, before reaching their decision on whether or not the pitch was poor and if so, whether a penalty should be imposed.
The ICC will make no further comments until Allardice and Madugalle have reached their decision.
The Nagpur pitch received flak from many former cricketers, including Australia’s Matthew Hayden, England’s Michael Vaughan, and a host of others.
However, Indian captain Virat Kohli and team director Ravi Shastri had strongly defended the pitch, saying that there was nothing wrong with the track.
However, South Africa had not lodged any complaints nor had it made any critical comments on the pitch. — PTI
Special Correspondent reports from Mumbai:
The fact that South Africa’s first innings folded up in 33.1 overs and India’s second innings in 46.3 overs at Nagpur may have prodded Crowe into giving a poor rating to the pitch. The former New Zealand batsman may also have taken note of comments defending the quality of the pitch by Kohli, off-spinner R. Ashwin and subsequently Shastri before writing a report.
Perhaps the most curious statement was assistant coach Sanjay Bangar’s: “When India travels overseas, the ball starts seaming from day one, I think right from the first over. As I said earlier the wicket is the same for both sides.
“I think it is a test of skill, just as you have the skill to counter against the seaming ball, the skill against the spinning ball is also equally important.”
The first Test also ended in three days, with South Africa shot out for 109 in 39.5 overs in the fourth innings.
Skipper Hashim Amla did not say anything about the Mohali pitch, but after the defeat at Nagpur he said he had never played on such a pitch before and that it would have been a nightmare to face Anil Kumble on it.
