Bengaluru Pitch For 2nd Test Between India & Sri Lanka Rated Below Average By ICC; One Demerit Point Given To M Chinnaswamy Stadium

The surface used for the second Test between India and Sri Lanka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has been given a ‘below average’ rating by the ICC Match Referee for the game, Javagal Srinath.

The pitch used in the day-night game provided a lot of assistance to the spinners right from Day 1. The batters had a hard time dealing with the turn on offer, which has led to the review and a demerit point from the ICC.

“The pitch offered a lot of turn on the first day itself and though it improved with every session, in my view, it was not an even contest between bat and ball,” Srinath said in an official statement released by the Council.

As per the rules, a below-average rating warrants a one-point demerit while poor and unfit pitches will be penalized three and five points respectively. The points will stack over a period of five years and if a particular stadium accumulates five points or more, it will be barred from hosting international cricket for one year.

16 wickets fell on Day 1 of the Bengaluru Test between India and Sri Lanka

After opting to bat first, India piled up 252 on the board courtesy of Shreyas Iyer‘s 92. They proceeded to pick up six Sri Lankan wickets on Day 1 itself, meaning 16 wickets fell on the first day.

The home team dismissed the Lankans cheaply on the next morning, before putting up 303 on the board and declaring with a lead of 446. The target was improbable for the visitors and they folded up for 208, leading to a 2-0 win for the Indian team.

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