ICC Match Referee Javagal Srinath Rates Bangalore Pitch For Ind vs SL Pink-Ball Test 'Below Average'

“The pitch offered a lot of turn on first day itself and though it improved with every session, in my view, it was not an even contest between bat and ball,” match referee Srinath said in his report.

M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Pic: BCCI

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given a 'below average' rating to the pitch used for India vs Sri Lanka Pink-Ball Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. On the very first day of the Bangalore Test, 16 wickets had fallen, with nine of those picked by spinners.

The pitch has been rated below average in a report submitted by ICC match referee Javagal Srinath. ICC will now monitor this pitch. Due to this rating, Bangalore's M Chinnaswamy stadium has got a demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

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“The pitch offered a lot of turn on the first day itself and though it improved with every session, in my view, it was not an even contest between bat and ball,” match referee Srinath noted in his report.

As per the laws in place, “when a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.”

As per the ICC rules, any rolling demerit points are considered for five years and if the demerit points of a venue exceed five demerit points, no international cricket can be hosted on that pitch for at least 12 months.

On Day 1 of the Bangalore Test, India was all out for 252 and by the end of the day's play, Indian bowlers restricted Sri Lanka for 86/6. Sri Lanka was bowled out for 109 on day 2, that too even before lunch, and were given a target of 447 runs. India then bowled out to Sri Lanka for 208 runs in the second innings and had to ultimately face defeat by 238 runs.