Border-Gavaskar Trophy: ICC Match Referee gives 'average' rating to Nagpur and Delhi pitches

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New Delhi, Feb 24: The ICC match referee has given "average" ratings to both Nagpur and Delhi pitches, respectively, where India thrashed Australia in three days to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The ratings will be uploaded on the ICC website but PTI can confirm that match referee Andy Pycroft hasn't given any adverse report about the two tracks.

While the Australian media went paranoid about the nature of the Nagpur track where the visitors scored 177 and 91 in both innings, India were able to score 400 in their only innings.

In Delhi, Australian batters couldn't adjust to the up-and-down nature of the track on the third day and lost last nine-second innings wickets for 52 runs.

While Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja ruled the roost during the two games, an "Average" rating means no demerit points are awarded to the venue.

There are six distinct classifications -- Very Good, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor and Unfit. Only when a pitch is rated below average, poor or unfit does, it attracts demerit points.

The Nagpur venue had once earlier been suspended when an India versus South Africa match ended in two days with the ball turning square from the first hour.

India and Australia are now gearing up for the third Test match which starts March 1 in Indore. The visitors have suffered a few jolts ahead of the third Test as their star batter David Warner has been ruled of the series.

(With PTI inputs)