New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) The pitch used for the first Test between England and India at Headingley, Leeds, has received a ‘very good’ rating, while the surfaces prepared for the subsequent three Tests have been rated ‘satisfactory’, as per the pitch and outfield ratings put out by ICC.
The ratings come after a dramatic Test series played for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India ended in a 2-2 draw, with the Shubman Gill-led side winning the thrilling fifth Test by six runs at The Oval. Interestingly, all matches in the series lasted for all five days, with the drawn Test at Manchester being the only game that didn’t produce an outright result.
The first Test at Headingley, Leeds, had a very good rating in both pitch and outfield. The second game at Edgbaston, Birmingham, had a ‘satisfactory’ pitch rating, while the outfield was deemed ‘very good’. The pitch, being rated ‘satisfactory’ and the outfield being deemed as ‘very good’, was retained for the third and fourth Tests at Lord’s, London, and Old Trafford, Manchester.
The pitch and outfield ratings for the fifth and final Test at the Test Oval are yet to be confirmed by the ICC. As compared to this, four out of the five pitches in the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy series were rated ‘very good’, the highest grade under the ICC’s updated pitch evaluation criteria.
The series turned out to be a prolific one for Shubman Gill, who ended up as the leading run scorer with a whopping 754 runs in 10 innings, coming at an average of 75.40, including hitting four centuries, and was adjudged as India’s Player of the Series. England batter Harry Brook was named the hosts’ Player of the Series for making 481 runs at an average of 53.44.
–IANS
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