India vs Australia 3rd Test: Indore pitch draws flak, sparks memes

The pitch for the third Test between India and Australia in Indore has come under scrutiny, with reports suggesting that governing body International Cricket Council (ICC) may give it a below-average rating.

Spinners are having a field day out there as batters find it hard to negotiate the unpredictable turn and bounce off the 22 yards.

A report on cricket.com.au pointed out that even a section of Indian fans was complaining about the pitch and questioning whether it was fit for an international tie – even though India has had a historical dominance over others on turning tracks at home.

Australian opening greats Mark Waugh and Matthew Hayden were unsparing in their criticism of the pitch.

Speaking to Fox news about first day’s play, ex-player Waugh termed it “mayhem”, stressing that the pitch was not up to “Test standard”.

Hayden said the pitch "shouldn't be a spin bowler's paradise…(and) it shouldn't be keeping low and turning a mile on day one”, according to Hindustan Times.

Former India cricket captain Dilip Vengsarkar, too, was critical of the pitch at Holkar Stadium.

"The pitch makes all the difference if you want to watch good cricket. You must have wickets with even bounce so that both batters and bowlers get equal opportunity. If the ball turns from day one and first session itself and that too with uneven bounce, it makes a mockery of Test cricket,” he told PTI news agency.

He added that it was not a good advertisement for Test cricket at a time when there was a talk about bringing crowds back to the longer, five-day format.

On the first day of the match on Wednesday, India was reduced to 109, thanks to Australia’s 26-year-old left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, who picked up five wickets. As it appeared that Australia had an upper hand for the first time in the Border-Gavaskar series, Indian spinners scalped seven Aussie wickets, dismissing Steve Smith’s side for 197 in their first innings.

With just an 88-run lead, Australia would be wary of their prospects in the match, having to bat in the fourth innings on a turning track. India has already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series and retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

As the debate over the pitch raged, Twitter was flooded with memes, living up to its reputation.

• Kuhnemann, Khawaja put Australia on top after spin mayhem