Bengaluru pitch has been rated ‘below average’ by the ICC

The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy has come under the scanner once again. For the second time, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has given a negative rating for a pitch prepared for the ongoing four-Test series against Australia. Match Referee Chris Broad rated the Chinnaswamy pitch as “below average” where the second Test was played.

Officials privy to the match referee report said: “The pitch (at Bengaluru) has been rated below average, and the outfield as very good.” The second Test did not get to witness action on the 5th day, with India levelling the series 1-1 on the back of a 75-run win, after being thrashed by 333 runs at Pune.

After the first Test in Pune ended in three days with spinners taking 31 wickets, Broad had given a “poor” rating for the pitch. Now ahead of the 3rd Test, the Ranchi pitch is drawing all the attention, of which the Australian media is already critical. The Sydney Morning Herald has said: “Local officials did their best to control the latest pitch doctoring storm, trying in vain to restrict inspection of the pitch to the captain and coach. They banned players from taking pictures, but close-up images have emerged of the flint-hard, bone-dry and grassless surface, which one Australian described as the most “ridiculous” pitch he had seen.”

India have had a very long season at home. They played three Test matches against New Zealand and four against England last year and a one-off Test against Bangladesh in January. But during these matches, none of the pitch reports mentioned anything adverse.

The Ranchi Test will be under scrutiny for many reasons. It will be made sure that no player signals for DRS help from their respective dressing rooms. Also, frequent conversations and on-field chatter between players, especially the two aggressive captains, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will not be allowed unlike before. The penultimate Test of the series begins on Thursday February 16.