Dean Elgar of the Proteas is hit by the ball during day 3 of the 3rd Test Wanderers Stadium on January 26, 201... Read More

MUMBAI: As expected, the International Cricket Council ( ICC ) match referee, former Zimbabwe player Andy Pycroft , has rated the underfire pitch for the recently-held third Test between India and South Africa at the Bullring in Wanderers, Johannesburg as 'poor'.

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It means that the Wanderers Stadium will receive three 'demerit points,' which will remain active for a five-year rolling period, by the ICC. This of course, doesn't mean that the venue will be suspended for international games in the near future, but, is definitely in the 'red zone.' If it collects two more demerit points for a poor pitch in the next five years, the Wanderers could be barred by the ICC for a year.

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Cricket South Africa (CSA) can appeal against this rating within two weeks of receiving the notification of the imposition of 'demerit points.' If CSA does appeal against the decision, it will be heard and determined by the ICC general manager (cricket) and the chairman of the cricket committee (or his nominee if the appeal is from the same country as the chairman).

Even as India won the third Test by 63 runs, the Wanderers pitch came under heavy criticism from all quarters for being heavily lopsided in the favour of the bowlers due to big cracks and inconsistent bounce, which saw batsmen from both sides being struck on their body by the pacers several times.

Play was curtailed on the third day after the umpires took the players off the field in the wake of South African opener Dean Elgar being hit on the grille of his helmet by a bouncer from Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah .

The match referee subsequently met with the umpires and the two captains, but went on to decide that the pitch was not dangerous enough for the match to be abandoned.

As per the ICC regulations, a 'poor' pitch is one that does not allow an even contest between bat and ball, either by favouring the batters too much, and not giving the bowlers (seam and spin) from either team sufficient opportunity to take wickets, or by favouring the bowlers too much (seam or spin), and not giving the batters from either team the opportunity to make runs.

In case of the Wanderers, the pitch seems to be facing sanction since it "displayed excessive unevenness of bounce for any bowler at any stage of the match".

Incidentally, this is the second consecutive series between India and South Africa in which a pitch has been rated as 'poor' by the ICC.

In 2015, the pitch for the third Test at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur was deemed 'poor' after the match finished inside three days on a raging turner. In this season there have been two venues which have received sanctions by the ICC.

The venue of the fourth Ashes Test, the MCG, was also rated poor for being too flat. The pitch for the second Test at Centurion too provided for inconstant bounce, but escaped sanction as it was rated as "average" by the ICC.

