ICC Rates Cape Town Pitch For IND vs SA 2nd Test 'Unsatisfactory'

image-lr67q6xsIND vs SA 2nd Test finished inside two days [X.com]

In a significant development, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the Cape Town pitch for the second Test match between India and South Africa as unsatisfactory. After the game concluded in two days, witnessing only 642 balls, match referee Chris Broad submitted his report to the governing body, stating, 

“The pitch in Newlands was very difficult to bat on," Broad said. "The ball bounced quickly and sometimes alarmingly throughout the match, making it difficult to play shots. Several batters were hit on the gloves and many wickets also fell due to the awkward bounce.”

As per the laws, the venues rated unsatisfactory receive one demerit point, which remains valid for five years. So, if Cape Town gets five more demerit points, it will be suspended from hosting international matches for 12 months. 

Riding on the bowlers' remarkable performance, India recently secured an emphatic seven-wicket win over South Africa to draw the two-match series. With the memorable victory at Newlands, India were able to level a Test series in South Africa after twelve long years. 

However, the Cape Town pitch grabbed more attention than India's sensational outing, as it proved to be a nightmare for the batters. 

Batters from both sides struggled to get going on the tricky Cape Town pitch, which offered significant assistance to the fast bowlers. Besides excessive seam movement, the track had uneven bounce, which made it incredibly tough for the batters to score runs. As a result, the game got wrapped up in only two days, becoming the shortest-ever Test match in history.