The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rated the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch ‘satisfactory’ for the final Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The other four pitches, in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, have all been rated ‘very good’.
The ICC categories pitches into four categories: very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory and unfit. Venues earn demerit points for unsatisfactory and unfit pitches. The satisfactory rating would come as a relief for the SCG, which was criticized by both Indian and Australian former cricketers for being too bowler-friendly because of an even layer of grass and uneven bounce.
“We are delighted by the quality of pitches produced for the NRMA Insurance Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and grateful for all the hard work of the curators and venues across the country,” Peter Roach, CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling said in a statement.
“We encourage pitches that bring out the unique characteristics of that venue and this has long been a feature of Australian cricket. We strongly believe that this is one of the reasons that Test cricket is so popular in Australia.
“We don’t look to prepare wickets that favour the home side or suit our situation in a series. What we seek is a good contest between bat and ball and pitches that are likely to produce a result. Weather obviously plays a significant part in preparation and we know that even our most skilled curators are challenged at times by adverse weather.”
None of the four innings went past 200 runs at the SCG, with India being bowled out for 185 and 157 and Australia getting out for 181 in their first innings. In the final essay, they lost four wickets and chased 162 runs to win the game. But opener Usman Khawaja later admitted that his team were lucky Jasprit Bumrah picked up an injury for the Indian quick would have been a ‘nightmare’ on the track.
“The SCG has been striving to bring out their unique characteristics of early pace and bounce before the pitch wears and spins. This year was a step in the right direction to achieving this which provided an exciting finish to the Border Gavaskar Trophy series and bodes well for the Ashes summer in 2025-26,” Roach said.
