India vs England: Ahmedabad pitch for 3rd Test escapes sanctions; awarded an 'average' rating

The pitch that was used for the third Test between India and England at Ahmedabad was criticized by several former cricketers. The hugely anticipated Pink ball Test match was done and dusted in 2 days, as the Indian side romped home with 10 wickets to spare.

And, one of the eagerly anticipated results was the rating that the pitch would get. And now, we have the answer. The pitch has received a rating of ‘average’, meaning that there will be no penalties or sanctions that will be imposed. Also, the pitch that was used for the 4th Test at the same venue has received a ‘Good’ rating.

The 4th Test fared marginally better than the 3rd Test in terms of duration and lasted for 3 days. The Virat Kohli led side pummeled England in the 4th Test match, and beat them by an innings and 25 runs. Also, while the pitch used for the first rubber in Chennai has received a ‘Very Good’ rating, the pitch used for the second Test at the same venue received an ‘Average’ rating.

What do the ICC rules say regarding the status of a pitch?

Now, it is important to delve into what the ICC rules state regarding the status of a pitch. These are the rules framed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the rating of pitches.

• In the revised ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, which was introduced on 4 January 2018, if a pitch or outfield is rated as being substandard, that venue will be allocated a number of demerit points.
• One demerit point will be awarded to venues whose pitches are rated by the match referees as below average, while three and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose pitches are marked as poor and unfit, respectively.
• Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period.
• When a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 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.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will also host all the 5 T20Is between India and England.