The Kolkata pitch that saw South Africa defeat India inside three days last month has received a “satisfactory” rating from ICC match referee Richie Richardson. This rating ensures that Eden Gardens avoids any sanctions for a pitch that sparked widespread debate among players and fans alike.
ICC Pitch Rating System Explained
The ICC uses a four-tier pitch rating system to evaluate the quality of cricket pitches. The levels are:
- Very Good
- Satisfactory
- Unsatisfactory
- Unfit
“Satisfactory” is the second level, falling between “very good” and “unsatisfactory.” This comes after recent controversy surrounding the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch, which was rated “unsatisfactory” and given a demerit point following the Boxing Day Ashes Test that ended in just two days.
Kolkata Test: A Pitch Full of Surprises
The Eden Gardens pitch offered uneven bounce from the very first over and gradually assisted spinners and seamers alike. South African off-spinner Simon Harmer and left-arm pacer Marco Jansen played key roles, while India’s Jasprit Bumrah took a five-wicket haul on the opening day. Despite the strong performances, neither team managed to score more than 200 runs in an innings, and India were bowled out for 93 while chasing 124 in the fourth innings.
The pitch became a talking point during and after the match. India head coach Gautam Gambhir initially described it as “exactly the pitch we were looking for”, but batting coach Sitanshu Kotak later clarified that this statement was intended to protect Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee. Kotak also indicated that India had been surprised by the uneven bounce and had not requested such a pitch.
The following Test in Guwahati was played on a much truer pitch, but South Africa again emerged victorious, securing a 2-0 series win over India.
