The International Cricket Council announced the pitch ratings for India’s home Test season and the outfield at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, which hosted the second Test between India and Bangladesh, came in for special criticism from ICC match referee Jeff Crowe as “unsatisfactory”. India played five home Tests this season, two against Bangladesh in Chennai and Kanpur and three against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai. The outfield at Green Park raised criticism for poor drainage forcing two full days of play to be lost to rain when interrupted by rain. However the Test ended within less than two full days of play with India securing a victory end.

Only Chennai’s Pitch & Outfield Rated ‘Very Good’

None of the three pitches used for the New Zealand series received a rating higher than “satisfactory”. The pitch in Bengaluru was particularly challenging as it favored fast bowlers on the first two days of play, due to all the moisture the rain before the game left behind. India was bowled out for a measly 46 runs in their first innings – its lowest total in a home Test. To recover, India tried to utilize spin-friendly wickets in the second and third Tests of the series in Mumbai and Pune. However, their batting order failed on these turning tracks, with where New Zealand’s Santner and Patel revelled with their spin.

On the other hand, all three venues Bangladesh played their T20I series at, Gwalior, Delhi, and Hyderabad, were graded “Very Good”. The tracks created an ideal scenario for the shorter format as it offered plenty of runs and a thrilling match.