Border-Gavaskar Trophy pitches get ICC ratings

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the ratings for the pitches used in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

The five-match AUS v IND series saw the hosts reclaiming the trophy after defeating India by 3-1 while one game ended without a result.

Now, the ICC has announced the pitch ratings for all AUS v IND games in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The pitches at Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba and Melbourne Cricket Ground have been rated as ‘very good’ while Sydney Cricket Ground was given a ‘satisfactory’ rating.

The ICC pitch ratings come following the criticism of the SCG pitch by current and former players.

Several considered the pitch at the SCG, which hosted the final AUS v IND Test, unsuitable for the longer format as its surface had a thick layer of grass.

Criticism intensified after the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy game at the ground lasted less than three days.

The game saw just 191 overs bowled and only 685 runs scored, as 15 wickets fell on the second day of the Test.

Reacting to the ratings by the ICC, Cricket Australia Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling Peter Roach expressed his delight by the quality of pitches produced for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

“We encourage pitches that bring out the unique characteristics of that venue and this has long been a feature of Australian cricket. We strongly believe that this is one of the reasons that Test cricket is so popular in Australia,” he said.

It is worth noting here that Australia won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade following their triumph in the final AUS v IND Test at the SCG.