ICC releases pitch ratings for India vs Australia Test series | Check in detail here
The five-match Test series between India and Australia concluded recently with the home team winning the series 3-1. Apart from the Brisbane Test, all matches witnessed intense battles between the two sides but Australia edged ahead eventually. Here are the pitch ratings:
ICC has announced the pitch ratings for the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar series between Australia and India. Four of the five Test matches have earned the pitch rating 'very good' while the fifth and final Test in Sydney has earned a 'satisfactory' rating. The pitches at Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba and Melbourne Cricket Ground – the venues for the first four Tests - have been rated 'very good'.
In 2023, the ICC revamped its pitch rating system, reducing it from six to four categories: very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and unfit. The pitches for the first four Test matches between India and Australia received the highest rating as they produced top-quality battles. The surface for the Sydney Test, which ended in just over two days has copped a lot of criticism and hence, has received a 'satisfactory' rating.
CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling Peter Roach was happy with the quality of pitches offered throughout the Test series. "We are delighted by the quality of pitches produced for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and grateful for all the hard work of the curators and venues across the country.
"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. We don't look to prepare wickets that favour the home side or suit our situation in a series. What we seek is a good contest between bat and ball and pitches that are likely to produce a result," he said.
Australia's 3-1 series win has helped them qualify for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) for the second successive edition. They would be defending their title having won it in the previous edition beating India in the final.