Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has hit out at the ICC (International Cricket Council) over what he described as double standards in the pitch rating process. Gavaskar said the pitch used for the recently concluded fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was likely to be rated as “good” despite the Test match ending in two days.
The opening day of the MCG Test saw 20 wickets fall – the most in Australia on the first day of a Test match since 22 wickets fell at the Adelaide Oval in 1951. Another 16 wickets fell on Day 2 as the entire Test match was completed in 142 overs.
After the game, Gavaskar recalled how the pitch for the first Ashes Test in Perth was rated as “very good”, despite the match also ending in two days. Looking at the ICC, he said that with new umpire Jeff Crowe replacing Ranjan Madugalle for the Melbourne Test, the pitch could be rated “good” rather than “very good”.
“With Jeff Crowe as the new umpire for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, the rating could be different. With 36 wickets in the Melbourne Test instead of 32 in Perth, Crowe could drop the ‘very good’ from the ‘very good’ he gave Madugalle for the pitch in Perth and rate the MCG pitch as good. Of course, Gavaskar got another rating, so we’ll never stop in his rating. for Sportstar.
He also offered a sarcastic view of India’s pitch curators, referring to how ICC umpires often portray them through poor pitch evaluation, calling them terrible groundsmen.
“The curators, or as we learned from the person in charge at the MCG, the Director of Turf, can make human error and err a little, but they are not as devious as the ‘terrible groundsmen’ in India who don’t even prepare the pitch and expect the batsmen to score on them. Tut tut,” Gavaskar added.
The Melbourne Test became the third shortest Test ever played in Australia in terms of balls bowled, with just 852 deliveries. Only the first Test of the ongoing series in Perth, which ended after 847 balls, and the 1932 match between Australia and South Africa at the same venue, which lasted 656 balls, were shorter on Australian soil.
after the match both captains, Steve Smith and Ben Stokeshe criticized the pitch for being too favorable to the bowlers. Former players and commentators have also expressed concern about the excessive help offered to the Mariners.
With just one match left in the series to be played on January 4 in Sydney, it remains to be seen what pitch the curator will prepare. Notably, the fifth Test of the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney was completed in three days.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
December 29, 2025
