India vs Australia: Pune pitch rated 'poor' by ICC match referee Chris Broad

The Pune pitch for the first Test between India and Australia has been rated as ‘poor’ by match referee Chris Broad. The controversial pitch had come under considerable flak after the Test ended in just three days, with Virat Kohli’s men unexpectedly losing by a 333-run margin.

Expressing concern over the quality of the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium track, Broad submitted his report to the ICC in accordance with Clause 3 of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

“The report has been forwarded to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which now has 14 days to provide its response,” said an ICC release.

The BCCI’s response will be reviewed by ICC’s General Manager – Cricket, Geoff Allardice, and Ranjan Madugalle from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. The matter will then be decided in accordance with Clause 4 of the process.

India skipper Kohli and coach Anil Kumble both said that they did not have any issues with the pitch. “I don’t think it was any different from the turners that we played on in the past. We just didn’t play good cricket,” Kohli had said in the post-match conference.

However, in his post-match press conference, Australia skipper Steve Smith had said: “I think it was certainly a wicket which would more likely suit the Indian players. I think it evened up the contest a lot more. We saw the way our spinners bowled on that, they were able to generate good spin and good natural variation out of the wicket. It was up to them (the MCA Stadium curators) to prepare a wicket and they prepared a wicket that played in to our hands.”

Former India player Harbhajan Singh had even gone on to the extent of saying that it was not a pitch for Test cricket.

Back in December 2015, the Nagpur strip used for the third Test between India and South Africa was also rated poor. Just like in Pune, that match too had ended on the third day, with India winning by 124 runs.