IND vs SA: ICC Labels Newlands Pitch 'Unsatisfactory' Amid Controversy, Delivers One Demerit Point

IND vs SA: After the controversy surrounding the Newlands pitch in Cape Town, which involved Rohit Sharma expressing concerns about bias in the pitches of SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) compared to Indian pitches, the ICC has finally addressed the issue following its assessment of the pitch.

“I honestly don't mind playing on pitches like this. As long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don't talk too much about Indian pitches, honestly," Rohit Sharma has said after the second test match.

The Newlands pitch used for the second Test between South Africa and India has been deemed "unsatisfactory" by the ICC as per the ICC Pitch and Outfield monitoring process after the low-scoring ICC World Test Championship clash.

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The decision came after Newlands hosted the shortest-ever completed Test match, with 642 balls bowled in total. The assessment resulted in the venue receiving one demerit point.

Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period, and if a venue accumulates six demerit points, it faces a 12-month suspension from hosting any international cricket.

The second Test, won by India, concluded within two days with both teams struggling due to the unpredictable bounce of the ball. ICC Match Referee Chris Broad submitted his report, expressing concerns about the pitch's difficulty for batting.

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"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," ICC quoted Broad as saying.

Mohammed Siraj's heroic five-fer helped dismiss South Africa for 55 in their first innings, with India managing to take 98-run lead after batting first. Aiden Markram's brilliant counter-attacking hundred proved inadequate in the second innings as India chased down a target of 79, winning by seven wickets on day two.

Cricket South Africa has 14 days to appeal against the sanction.