The ICC on Friday rated the pitch used for the third Test match at the Holkar Stadium as “poor” after Australia beat India by nine wickets in a little over two days. The poor rating also earned Indore, three demerit points. “ICC Match Referee Chris Broad submitted his report to the ICC expressing the concerns of the match officials and after consulting with captains of both teams,” the release issued by the global body stated.

Broad said: “The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start. The fifth ball of the match broke through the pitch surface and continued to occasionally break the surface providing little or no seam movement and there was excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match.” India had lost seven wickets in the first session.