The ICC has deemed the pitch used for the third Test between India and Australia, which was played under the ICC World Test Championship umbrella, at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore as “poor” under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. 

Spinners from both teams enjoyed great help from the surface that was conducive to spin right from the start on day one, which saw 14 wickets fall. Out of the 31 wickets that fell during the whole match, 26 were scalped by the spinners while only four wickets went to pacers. One was run-out.

The Holkar Stadium has received three demerit points as a result after ICC Match Referee Chris Broad submitted his report after consultation with both Rohit Sharma and Steve Smith, the captains of both teams in the third Test.  

BCCI now have 14 days if they wish to appeal against the sanction. 

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.”

According to the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, a venue will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months if it accumulates five or more demerit points over a five-year rolling period.

The action in the Border-Gavaskar series now moves to Ahmedabad with India leading 2-1. Australia punched their ticket to the World Test Championship final with the win in Indore and India have a chance to do the same if they win the final Test.

In case they fail to do so, they will need a favour from reigning WTC Champions New Zealand, who need to avoid a whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka. As thing stands, Sri Lanka can pip India in the second spot only if they whitewash the Black Caps 2-0 away from home in the two-match series that commences on 9 March. Any other result will mean that Australia will face India in the WTC Final in Oval on 7 June.

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