Controversial Cape Town Pitch Gets "Unsatisfactory" Grade and One Demerit Point from ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) gave the wicket for the second Test match between South Africa and India at Newlands in Cape Town a "unsatisfactory" grade and one demerit point, but the match avoided a severe penalty.

It took fewer than five sessions and 642 balls to finish, making it the quickest Test match in the history of the game, which India won by seven wickets.

The game was dominated by the fast bowlers, which led to lateral movement and inconsistent bounce. On the first day, 23 wickets fell, with India making 153 after losing their final six wickets for no runs, and South Africa being bowled out for 55.

A venue will be deducted points in the ICC pitch and outfield monitoring system if a pitch or outfield is deemed to be subpar. Venues whose pitches and outfields are deemed unsatisfactory by the match referee will receive one demerit point; venues whose pitches and outfields are deemed inappropriate will receive three demerit points.

The five-year rolling period of demerit points will continue to be in effect.

A venue will be prohibited from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months if it receives six demerit points, and from hosting any international cricket for a period of 24 months if it achieves the threshold of twelve demerit points.

Once the match referee's ratings have been processed by the ICC's operations team in Dubai, the conclusion is made public.

After conferring with captains Dean Elgar and Rohit Sharma, who both said the pitch "was below standard," match referee Chris Broad issued the "unsatisfactory" assessment.

According to Broad, "the pitch at Newlands was very difficult to bat on." Throughout the game, the ball bounced swiftly and occasionally frighteningly, making it challenging to play shots. A number of batters were struck on the gloves, and the unusual bounce also caused many wickets to fall.

Sunil Gavaskar, the former captain of India, had expressed disapproval of the pitch in his Sunday Telegraph column. "I have consistently argued that a pitch that puts a batter in danger physically is far more hazardous than one that just jeopardizes the batter's reputation," the author stated.

The rating of the Newlands pitch will be fascinating to see. Although there were two hundreds scored on that field, it was concerning how frequently the ball shot up from a decent distance.

He declared that the Centurion wicket was a well-thought-out design by the hosts rather than an unintentional mistake, placing it under the same category as "dangerous."

In judging the pitch, Rohit had also been furious. "Everyone witnessed the events of this Test and the pitch's performance. As long as people in India keep their mouths shut and avoid discussing Indian pitches, I really don't mind playing on fields like this," Rohit remarked.

The captain of India further criticized the match officials and the ICC for applying a "double standard." "I'll stand by my judgment and opinion on that. I've had enough cricket and the way the ICC and match referees evaluate these ratings. I don't mind how you rank as long as you remain impartial.

The ICC has always been furious with tests played on Indian wickets as soon as the ball turns on the first day of play. The management of the Indian team has consistently aimed for impartiality when evaluating pitches that turn and those that seam and provide inconsistent bounce.

Cricket Though it is doubtful, South Africa has 14 days to file an appeal with the ICC about the sentence.

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