ICC rates India vs South Africa 2nd Test pitch 'unsatisfactory', Cape Town gets demerit point

The pitch on which the 2nd Test between India and South Africa was played has been given an 'unsatisfactory' rating by the ICC after the game concluded inside 2 days as the shortest Test match of all time. A total of just 107 were bowled across with 33 wickets falling, with South Africa getting bowled out twice and India losing three in its final pursuit of 79. The decision comes under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process with match referee Chris Broad expressing concerns over the nature of the Newlands wicket.

"The pitch in Newlands was very difficult to bat on. The ball bounced quickly and sometimes alarmingly throughout the match, making it difficult to play shots. Several batters were hit on the gloves and many wickets also fell due to the awkward bounce," Broad said.

The ICC vigilantly monitors the quality of pitches and outfields. Should a pitch be deemed substandard by the match referee, it is hit by demerit points under a strict system. An unsatisfactory pitch or outfield results in the allocation of one demerit point. The weight of this demerit system is substantial, as accumulating six points triggers a year-long prohibition from hosting international matches. This ban doubles to two years when the points reach 12. It's important to note that these points have a finite lifespan; they expire after five years, affording venues an opportunity for redemption.

Cape Town Test summed up

In a shocking turn of events, the Test folded early into the second session on Day 2. After South Africa stand-in captain Dean Elgar won the toss and opted to bat under sunny skies, they were rolled over for 55 – their lowest Test total since readmission and against India – with Mohammed Siraj claiming a career-best 6/15. India's reply was an equally roller coaster of a ride as they lost six wickets for 0 runs – collapsing from 153/4 to 153 all out – still winning a lead of 98 runs.

The hosts walked out to bat in their second innings on the same day – Day 1 – were a tad better but not enough to push the result of the match in their favour. Jasprit Bumrah followed Siraj and secured a six-wicket-haul of his own, even as Aiden Markram resisted with one of the greatest centuries of all time. South Africa were bowled out for 172, setting India less than 80 to get. With the ghosts of 81 all out and 66 all out looming, Yashasvi Jaiswal provided India a cracking start – racing to 28 off 23 balls with six fours before he, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli perished in quick succession. Shreyas Iyer struck a four to score the winning runs as India levelled the series 1-1 – a monumental result given they were steamrolled in three days in Centurion the game before.

How legends and Rohit reacted

The pitch was criticised by a plethora of former cricketers, including Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar, who called the surface 'dangerous' for batting. Rohit, while batting in India's second innings, copped a blow when a ball suddenly erupted out of nowhere after pitching. A visibly frustrated Rohit let out an anguished reaction, but it wasn't until the post-match press conference where he really tucked into the Newlands pitch. The India captain admitted it was challenging but while he made it clear that the India team has no issues batting on such surfaces, he reiterated that others need to 'keep their mouths' shut about pitches on which Test matches are played back in India.