Kanpur Outfield Receives 'Unsatisfactory' Rating and Demerit Point
India’s bowlers made a determined push for victory despite lost play, taking 20 Bangladesh wickets in just over 121 overs, with India scoring at a record-breaking 7.36 runs per over. The Kanpur pitch received a "satisfactory" rating, a notch above the outfield.
The ICC has rated the outfield at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium as "unsatisfactory," awarding it one demerit point after the rain-affected second Test between India and Bangladesh from September 27 to October 1. Despite minimal rain on match days, only 35 overs were possible on day one, with no play on days two and three due to the outfield’s poor condition. The state’s public works department had also marked one of Green Park’s stands as unsafe, allowing only limited seating in upper levels.
Green Park Stadium, used by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) under an MoU with the state government, has been a prominent venue since 1952. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, a Kanpur native, defended the stadium but acknowledged its need for updates after widespread criticism.
India’s bowlers made a determined push for victory despite lost play, taking 20 Bangladesh wickets in just over 121 overs, with India scoring at a record-breaking 7.36 runs per over. The Kanpur pitch received a "satisfactory" rating, a notch above the outfield.
The ICC rates outfields and pitches from "very good" to "unfit," and grounds receiving five or more demerit points over five years are banned from hosting international matches for 12 months. In comparison, Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, which hosted India’s first Test against Bangladesh, earned a "very good" rating, while the other venues from India’s 2024-25 season received satisfactory ratings without any issues.
