South Africa Vs India Match Abandoned As Per ICC Rules

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South Africa Vs India Match Abandoned As Per ICC Rules
South Africa Vs India Match Abandoned As Per ICC Rules

Earlier this week the play for Day 3 of the third Test between India and South Africa in Johannesburg was called off as a result of the pitch’s erratic nature and due to the rains that came towards the end.

Throughout the match, the Wanderers pitch has been drawing criticism from several veteran cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly,  and Shaun Pollock for it being unfair towards the batsmen.

Play was stopped on Day 3 during South Africa’s second innings during which Dean Elgar was struck several times.

A short pitched delivery bowled by Jasprit Bumrah rose sharply and hit Elgar on the head.

While the batsman was being treated, umpires Aleem Dar and Michael Gough entered into a short discussion, after which they asked the players to go off the field. They next held a discussion with captains Virat Kohli, Faf Du Plessis as well as the Match Referee.

Kohli was not very happy when the umpires informed him that a discussion on the pitch was needed and looked to argue that the Indian team handled similar conditions during the last two innings where they had batted. But with the rains also showing up, the day’s play was abandoned in the end.

ICC Rules Regarding Pitches

The ICC’s basic requirements for a pitch are stated as follows:

  1. The objective of a Test pitch shall be to allow all the individual skills of the game to be demonstrated by the players at various stages of the match. If anything, the balance of the contest between bat and ball in a Test match should slightly favour the bowling team,
  2. A pitch should be expected to deteriorate as the match progresses, and as a consequence the bounce could become more inconsistent, and the ball could deviate more (seam and spin) off the wearing surface.

In the case the pitch is deemed dangerous:

6.4.1 If the on-field umpires decide that it is dangerous or unreasonable for play to continue on the match pitch, they shall stop play and immediately advise the ICC Match Referee.

6.4.2 The on-field umpires and the ICC Match Referee shall then consult with both captains.

6.4.3 If the captains agree to continue, play shall resume.

6.4.4 If the decision is not to resume play, the on-field umpires together with the ICC Match Referee shall consider whether the existing pitch can be repaired and the match resumed from the point it was stopped. In considering whether to authorise such repairs, the ICC Match Referee must consider whether this would place either side at an unfair advantage, given the play that had already taken place on the dangerous pitch.

6.4.5 If the decision is that the existing pitch cannot be repaired, then the match is to be abandoned as a draw.

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