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Australia bulldozed India by nine wickets in the third Test at the rank-turner Indore pitch on Friday (March 3). After Australia's resounding win, the four-match Border-Gavaskar series now stands at 2-1 in favour of India with a match to spare. After succumbing to Australian spinners in both the innings, India gave Australia a paltry 76-run target which the visitors chased down without breaking a sweat.
Riding on this emphatic win Australia also became the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-2023 final which will be played at the Oval in June.
Indore pitch, with over four degree average turn in the first session, came under scanner as many claimed that it provided undue advantage to spinners.
Meanwhile, Australian cricket great Ian Chappell also came down heavily on Rohit Sharma's brigade for providing inputs for preparation of pitches.
“India need to see the error of their ways. I've talked before about trying to prepare pitches that suit India… have India forgotten that they won the last two series in Australia? I go back to it again, what the hell are administrators, players, coaches, anybody outside the curator (doing?). Why the hell are they having an input for the pitch? It should be left to the curator, let him produce a pitch that he thinks is a good one. Let the players play on it,” Chappell said on ESPNCricinfo.
Chappell also insisted that curator should have the liberty to prepare a pitch, and further added that India also missed Rishabh Pant when it comes to cricketing action.
“I've no sympathy for India if they have been asking for certain surfaces. If they ask one for the next Test, you hope the curator just tells them to mind their own business. The Indians need to shut up and get on with the cricket. Really, have they forgotten how they won in Australia? With good all-round cricket. Bear in mind, one of the big differences is there's no Rishabh Pant in this Indian side. They're now starting to see how important he is to them,” added Chappell.
Meanwhile, the Holkar Stadium in Indore was played has been declared 'poor' by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Notably, 14 wickets fell during Day 1. A total of 31 wickets fell during the third Test match, out of which 26 were snared by the spinners while just four wickets were taken by pacers as one was run out.
“The International Cricket Council today announced that the pitch for the third Test of the ICC World Test Championship series between India and Australia at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore has been rated as “poor” under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process,” the ICC said in a statement.
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