Cricket Australia was very pleased as the poor surface at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) was spared embarrassment, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) published the pitches’ ratings from the just concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The series featured matches between India and Australia at five different venues- Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 was perhaps one of the most contested series in recent memory. Both the India National Cricket Team and the Australia National Cricket Team gave it their all and fought till the end to provide fans with hours of excitement.
Australasia have got their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. They defeated India 3-1 and qualified for the final of the ICC World Test Championship.
India opened the series on a high note, winning the opening game in Perth by a large margin of 295 runs. However, Australia mounted a great recovery, winning the next game in Adelaide by 10 wickets to tie the series. The third match resulted in a draw because the weather played a significant role.
The final two games were all about the Australian National Cricket Team. They trounced India by 184 runs in Melbourne before winning by six wickets in Sydney.
Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba, and the MCG rated ‘Very good’, Sydney given a ‘satisfactory’ rating
The first match in the series between India and Australia was played in Perth Stadium in Perth, and the pitch received the highest rating of ‘very good’. The second game of the BGT 2024-25 was held at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide.
It was a day-night Test match, and the ICC also assessed Adelaide’s pitch as ‘very good’. The action then went to Brisbane’s Gabba, with the Boxing Day Test taking place at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Both match sites have received a ‘very good’ rating.
The final Test match between India and Australia was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. The pitch there was one of the spicier surfaces of all five sites. Even the Australian players were vociferous, claiming that they had never seen anything like it in Sydney.
Cricket Australia relieved about Sydney’s pitch rating
However, the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground has been rated ‘satisfactory’ by the International Cricket Council (ICC). This is the second-best category in the ratings.
“The ICC has released its pitch ratings for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba, and the MCG pitch all receiving the highest ‘very good’ rating, and the SCG was given the second top category ‘satisfactory’,” Cricket Australia stated.
The ICC has released its pitch ratings for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba and the MCG pitches all receiving the highest 'very good' rating and the SCG given the second top category 'satisfactory' : Cricket Australia
— Gaurav Gupta (@toi_gauravG) January 8, 2025
Also read: Sunil Gavaskar Disrespected By Cricket Australia In BGT 2024-25? Michael Clarke Responds