Nagpur faces ICC sanction over ‘poor’ pitch

South Africa could muster just 79 runs in their first innings of the Nagpur Test against India and lost all 20 wickets in the match to spinners.

Reuters: Indian cricket authorities face a fine of up to $15,000 after the pitch used for the spin-dominated third test between India and South Africa in Nagpur was rated as “poor” by match referee Jeff Crowe, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.

Forty wickets tumbled in three days at the VCA Stadium as India beat South Africa by 124 runs with more than two days to spare in the low-scoring contest to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

“Jeff Crowe submitted his report to the ICC, expressing the concerns of the match officials over the performance of the pitch,” the ICC said in a statement.

The report has been forwarded to the Indian cricket board (BCCI), which now has 14 days to respond.

After that, ICC general manager of cricket Geoff Allardice and chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle will rule whether the pitch was poor and whether it warrants a penalty.

ICC rules decree that if they confirm that the pitch was “poor”, a warning can be issued and/or “a fine not exceeding $15,000 (imposed), with a directive for appropriate corrective action”.

The Nagpur pitch offered prodigious turn from day one, prompting Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to call it “diabolical”, while former Australia opener Matthew Hayden termed it a “Bunsen burner” – slang for a turner.

Indian opener Murali Vijay’s first-innings 40 was the highest individual score in the test, in which South Africa mustered just 79 in the first innings and lost all 20 wickets in the match to spinners.

Visiting captain Hashim Amla said the Nagpur track was the “toughest” he had faced in his test career, but assistant coach Adrian Birrell refused to blame the pitches for the team’s series defeat.

“We’re not complaining at all,” Birell told reporters at the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium, in Delhi, on Tuesday ahead of the fourth and final test, which begins on Thursday.

“We’re playing in India and we’re playing in Indian conditions. We relish the opportunity. Unfortunately, we’ve not played to our full potential.”

South Africa hope Delhi test will last more than three days

Reuters: The 22-yard wicket at Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium filled the beleaguered South African team with optimism on Tuesday that the fourth and final test against India will buck the trend and last more than three days.

South Africa kicked off their longest tour of India by winning the Twenty20 and one-day series before the hosts rolled out turning pitches and unleashed their formidable phalanx of skilful spinners to turn the tables in the test matches.

The world’s top-ranked test team were beaten inside three days in Mohali and Nagpur while India also dominated what little play was possible in the rain-ruined match in Bangalore.

The visitors were naturally eager to have a look at the pitch to be used for the final test starting on Thursday and assistant coach Adrian Birell was hopeful it would last longer.

“We are playing in India so we expect the pitches to turn. This one looks like it will go more than three days,” Birell told reporters after the team’s practice session.

South Africa lost all 20 wickets in Nagpur to the Indian tweakers, with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claiming 12.

Birell said he and spin bowling consultant Claude Henderson were helping the batsmen prepare better for the likes of Ashwin and leggie Amit Mishra.

“We are trying to do very specific training. We take the stumps and put it behind and use the rough there to try and simulate maybe what we’re going to get in the match,” he said.

“I’m an old leg-spinner and I bowl from a very shortened run-up and bowl from about 15 yards, try and simulate Mishra. I’m not even close, but we try.

“And we got others guys that throw off-spinners and try and simulate Ashwin. We’re doing what we can to try and prepare as specific as possible. Unfortunately, we’re not as good as Ashwin.”

South Africa have missed Dale Steyn, nursing a groin injury, after the first test in Mohali and Birrell said the pace bowler will undergo a fitness test on Wednesday before a call is made on his participation in the final match.

Mishra warned that the Proteas would have to improve their technique against spin to avoid another defeat.

“I admit it spun more (in the series). Their technique was inadequate to cope with it. I think, if they improve their technique, they can better deal with spin,” said the 33-year-old.