India's Nagpur pitch rated 'poor' by ICC match referee

02 December 2015 - 02:26 By Telford Vice in Delhi

India's victory over South Africa in the third Test in Nagpur was officially tainted on Tuesday when the Jamtha pitch used in the match was damned as "poor". That rating, which was based on the pitch and outfield report submitted to the International Cricket Council by match referee Jeff Crowe, will take some of the sting out of South Africa's 124-run loss.But it is too little and comes too late to spare South Africa their first defeat in the 15 away Test series they have played since August 2006.The ball turned immediately after spin was introduced in the ninth over, and extreme variations in bounce and pace became a factor. Batsmen were seen removing earth from their spikes.India were dismissed for 215 and 173 with South Africa bowled out for 79 - the lowest Test total yet made against India and South Africa's lowest since 1957 - and 185. A match that could have lasted for 30 hours and 450 overs was completed in 247.5 overs and about 17 hours.According to the ICC Pitch Monitoring Process, a surface can be labelled poor "if any of the following criteria apply: "the pitch offers excessive seam movement at any stage of the match, the pitch displays excessive unevenness of bounce for any bowler at any stage of the match, the pitch offers excessive assistance to spin bowlers (especially early in the match), and the pitch displays little or no seam movement or turn at any stage in the match together with no significant bounce or carry, thereby depriving the bowlers of a fair contest between bat and ball".The Board of Control for Cricket in India has 14 days to respond to the finding. It is entitled to appeal.The Vidarbha Cricket Association, which runs Jamtha, may be liable for a warning and a fine of up to $15,000 as well as what the ICC Pitch Monitoring Process ominously refers to as "appropriate corrective action".After the match India captain Virat Kohli railed against criticism of the pitch: "It doesn't really matter. The fact is we've won the series. That is not going to change however many articles are written about the pitch, and however many articles are written about their batting and an undue advantage for our spinners."South Africa captain Hashim Amla said he had not "played in conditions like these before in my life", and seemed to take a swipe at the Indians when he said, "You want to lose honourably and you want to win honourably as well."The first Test in Mohali was also decided inside three days. But that pitch seems to have escaped Jamtha's fate. The fourth and final Test begins on Thursday...

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