The International Cricket Council (ICC) will likely impose sanctions on the Newlands pitch, which is expected to be condemned. It was the shortest Test match in Test cricket history, with South Africa and India’s most recent match at the Cape Town site ending after just five sessions.
Demerit points are anticipated to be applied by the ICC on the spot, and it is unknown whether India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, will be punished for remarks he made against the ICC and the match referee.
The 22-yard playing field is the center of attention worldwide, instead of the India captain’s criticism of the ICC and match referees. In just 642 deliveries (107 overs), India won the Test by a margin of seven wickets.
The pitch, which yielded a result in the second session of the following day, drew criticism from all across the world, with particular focus on match referee Chris Broad’s assessment of the pitch. Broad, a veteran match referee who used to bat for England but is not well-liked by Indian teams, is forced to provide a low or unfit rating.
There are six possible grades for pitches: excellent, excellent, average, below average, poor, and unfit. Any rating that comes in between the final two categories is subject to demerit points, which run from one to five, and can result in suspension. Not in doubt are very good, good, and average evaluations; nevertheless, below average can warrant a more lenient penalty. In this instance, a low or unsuitable grade is expected.
Normally, the ICC’s operations team in Dubai processes the match referee’s rating before announcing the verdict. A final decision may be made on Monday, but it is unlikely to happen before Tuesday. Examined was also the pitch used for the inaugural Test match at Centurion, which ended in a three-day fashion. But with the altercation at Newlands, it has become less important.
In his syndicated piece that was released on Sunday, Sunil Gavaskar stated, “I have always maintained that a pitch where a batter is physically threatened is far more dangerous than a pitch where only the batter’s reputation is under threat.” He declared that the Centurion wicket was a deliberate design by the South African cricket establishment rather than an unintentional mistake, classifying it as ‘hazardous’ as well.
India is not a stranger to surface friction in South Africa. In 2018, following a victory over the home team, Wanderers coach Ravi Shastri said that, between the third and fourth mornings, the ground had changed inexplicably. Match referee Andy Pycroft stopped play when Dean Elgar was struck on the helmet by a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. Because of the treacherous pitch, South Africa was 17 for 1 while chasing 241. Shastri said that the Indians thought the surface was docile and damp on the fourth morning, and that on days three and four, it was like ‘chalk and cheese.’ The Test was eventually won by India by 63 runs, and the turnaround occurred only after the sun began to shine on the Wanderers’ surface.
If Shastri was evasive back then, Rohit was straightforward now. “Everyone witnessed the events of this Test match as well as the pitch’s behavior. Rohit criticized the ICC and match referees for their “double standard,” saying, “I honestly don’t mind playing on pitches like these as long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don’t talk about Indian pitches.” “I’ll stand by my judgment and opinion on that. I’ve had enough cricket, enough of the way the ICC and match officials evaluate these ratings. I don’t mind how you rank as long as you remain impartial.”