Chris Broad gives Pune pitch poor grade after three-day India v Australia Test
Tuesday 28 February 2017 13:21, UK
Match referee Chris Broad graded the pitch in Pune as poor after India's three-day defeat at the hands of Australia in the first Test of their four-match series.
The home side set up a bone-dry track at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium as they looked to claim maximum benefit from their strong set of spinners.
But their plan backfired in spectacular fashion as Australia's spinners proved more at home on the surface in claiming 17 of the 20 India wickets to fall.
Steve O'Keefe returned figures of 6-35 in both innings as Australia secured a 333-run victory.
The pitch has now fallen foul of the Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and India's cricket board now has 14 days to respond to the report.
Punishment for a first "poor" rating for any venue ranges from warning to a maximum of $15,000 fine with a directive for appropriate corrective action.
Live Test Cricket
The second Test starts on Saturday in Bangalore, live on Sky Sports, where officials have promised a "sporting" pitch.
