Eden Gardens avoids MCG fate as ICC reveals rating for pitch used in IND vs SA 1st Test

The International Cricket Council (ICC) spared the Eden Gardens pitch of bad rating and instead rated it as 'satisfactory'. There had been a lot of criticism around the track after India were defeated by South Africa in just three days. Temba Bavuma & Co. won the match by 30 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series. They would go on to win the second game as well, inflicting a series whitewash over India at home soil.

The pitch at Eden Gardens had come under a lot of scrutiny after it not only displayed uneven bounce, but also because the ball started to turn a lot from the first day itself. Neither of the two teams reached the 200-run mark even once  and the Men in Blue got bundled out for just 93 runs in the final innings, failing to chase down the modest target of 124. Additionally, Bavuma was the only batter who was able to register a 50+ score on the daunting pitch.

MCG pitch deemed as 'unsatisfactory'

Despite there being sharp criticism against it, match refereee Richie Richardson decided to give a satisfactory rating to the Kolkata pitch. On the other hand, the pitch used for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne didn't have the same fate as it was rated as 'unsatisfactory' by the global cricket body. The rating came after the match came to an end within just two days with the bowlers completely dominating over the batters.

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Unlike in Kolkata where the pitch provided a lot of turn for the spinners, the surface at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) provided a lot of help to the seamers. This led to a total of 20 wickets falling on the first day of the match itself and it was followed by 16 scalps falling on Day 2. England eventually went on to win the Test after chasing down the target of 175 as both teams failed to post a total of above 200 on the board.

Guwahati pitch rating also revealed

Additionally, Richardson also shared his rating for the Guwahati pitch which was used for the second Test between India and South Africa. It was the first time in history that a Test was played at the venue and the surface there received a "very good" rating.