IND vs AUS: Furious Sunil Gavaskar laments ICC for ‘harsh’ verdict on Indore pitch
On Friday, pitches in Nagpur and New Delhi were rated “average” the ICC while the pitch for the Indore Test was rated “poor” match referee Chris Broad.
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar wasn’t happy with the verdict and called it a ‘harsh’ decision. Foaming at the mouth, Gavaskar gave a cruel reminder to the visitors of the Gabba pitch in November, which had hosted a Test match between Australia and South Africa.
Gavaskar, in conversation with India Today, said, “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?” he questioned. “I think 3 demerit points is a little harsh, because, in this pitch, yes the ball turned, but it was not dangerous. When Australia gets to a score of 77 for the loss of one wicket it actually tells you that the pitch got a lot better.”
Meanwhile, speaking on the pitch, which received three demerit points, ICC Match Referee 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.”
Leading 2-0 going into the third Test, the Indian batters were undone the Indore pitch as Australia recorded a thumping nine-wicket win in the third match to reger a big win, which was Rohit Sharma-led side’s only third loss at home in 45 Tests in the past decade.
India are currently leading 2-1 with a Test match left in Ahmedabad.