The India's tour of Australia 2024-25 finished with the winning team, securing a huge 3-1 victory in the Test series. One of the matches in the series ended in a tie, adding to the excitement of the tournament. After the list, Cricket Australia (CA) revealed the ratings of all five venues where the games were held, as seen The International Cricket Council (ICC).
ICC prices BGT 2024-25 venue: Sydney Cricket Ground under supervision
The sites that hosted the list received an evaluation based on a rating system that divided them into four categories: Excellent, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, and Unsuitable. The first four venues – Optus Stadium in Perth, Adelaide Oval, The Gabba in Brisbane, and the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), all scored “Excellent”. This recognition reflects the quality of these grounds in hosting world-class cricket and providing players with the best game possible.
While the last Test of the series was held at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)the site received a 'Satisfactory' rating from the ICC. This play, in particular, has been critically reviewed by current players and cricket experts. Players have been criticized for not meeting the standards expected of them in Test matches, with concerns over his tendency to break down and cause problems for the batsmen.
Sunil Gavaskar criticizes SCG Pitch
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar criticized the Sydney Cricket Ground, saying it was not suitable for a Test match as it should be played over the fourth and fifth days. He said that if 15 wickets fell in one day in India, there would be many complaints. He also mentioned the legend of Australian cricket Glenn McGrathCommenting on the overgrown grass on the field, I asked if the former Indian player had complained about it.
“This is not suitable for the Test match pitch you want because you want it to go into the fourth and fifth day. If 15 wickets fell (in one day) in India, all hell would break loose. We had Glenn McGrath say he had never seen so much grass. Have you ever heard a former Indian cricketer moan about playing? ” Gavaskar responded to the series.
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Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith watch the SCG Pitch
Australia's first Usman Khawaja he criticized the pitch, calling it a “stink” and noting it was no ordinary SCG wicket. He mentioned the presence of cracks, which makes it difficult to beat. Despite the tough conditions, Australia won, but Khawaja emphasized the difficulty of playing on such a wicket.
“I'm not going to lie, I didn't want to talk too much about it, but the wicket was stinky. It wasn't like a traditional SCG wicket with new grass, there are cracks all over the place, it's been hard batting, the scoreboard will tell you that. Luckily we were on the right side of the win but when it's a wicket like that you're always on a knife edge,” said Khawaja while talking to ABC Radio.
Steve Smith he criticized the sound, describing it as “double-acting, up and down, sewing, and swinging,” making it very difficult to hit. He said he had never faced such a wicket at the SCG before.
“At a distance. It was two-legged, up and down, wandering everywhere, swaying. I have never played on a wicket like that at the SCG. It was very difficult that brot,” Smith said in a press conference.
Cricket Australia protects the SCG Pitch
Meanwhile, CA has responded by criticizing the SCG's moves in its defense, and insisting that the pitch wants to show early speed and bounce before it collapses and spins. They also said that this year's pace was improving, which has contributed to a thrilling finish to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and given good hope to the players. 2025-26 Ashes series.
“SCG has been working hard to bring out their unique style of early speed and jumps before the pitch wears and spins. This year was the right way to achieve this, which gave a happy ending to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and a good place for the Ashes summer in 2025-2026.,” Cricket Australia said.