India To Face 3 Point Penalty In Race To WTC Final If Pitch Rated 'Poor'

With the MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch for the second Test helping spin bowlers from the first session of the first Test, there have been calls to dock India points in the World Test Championship (WTC) table for producing a below-par surface even as Virat Kohli's boys are fighting to qualify for the WTC final.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) rules say that if a pitch is rated poor then the home team would be docked three points.

"A poor pitch is one that does not even allow an even contest between bat and ball, either by favouring batters too much, and not giving the bowlers (seam and spin) from either side sufficient opportunity to take wickets, or by favouring the bowlers too much (seam or spin), and not giving the batters from either team the opportunity to make runs," states the rules leading to the docking of points.

The rules further state the conditions that make the pitch poor and one of the conditions is about assistance to spin bowlers from early on. "The pitch offers excessive assistance to spin bowlers, especially early in the match."

The wicket for the second wicket started helping spinners from the first session of the first day and it remains to be seen how match referee Javagal Srinath will write on it.

India are currently placed fourth on the WTC table at the moment and need to win the series 2-1 or 3-1 to play New Zealand, who have already qualified, in the final in June at Lord's, London, in England.

India had 430 points in 14 Tests and 68.3 percentage of points ahead of the second Test.