ICC rates Bengaluru pitch where India played 2nd Test against Sri Lanka as 'below average'

Dubai, March 20: The Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch in Bengaluru, which was used for the second Test between India and Sri Lanka earlier this month, was on Sunday rated "below average" by the ICC.

India had defeated Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the Test which began on March 12 and ended inside three days. The venue thus received one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

"The pitch offered a lot of turn on the first day itself and though it improved with every session, in my view, it was not an even contest between the bat and ball," match referee Javagal Srinath said in a statement issued by ICC.

Srinath's report has been forwarded to the BCCI. In 2017, the Bangalore wicket was rated as below average by ICC match referee Chris Broad after the second Test between India and Australia.

According to the revised ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process, which was introduced on January 4, 2018, "if a pitch or outfield is rated as being substandard, that venue will be allocated a number of demerit points."

"One demerit point will be awarded to venues whose pitches are rated by the match referees as below average, while three and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose pitches are marked as poor and unfit, respectively.

"No demerit point will be awarded when the outfield is rated as below average, but two and five demerit points will be awarded to venues whose outfields are marked as poor and unfit, respectively."

Demerit points will remain active for a rolling five-year period. When a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, the ICC said.

A venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.