The tough, viciously turning pitch at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium for the second T20I between India and New Zealand on January 29, which was dubbed as a "shocker" by India's T20I captain Hardik Pandya, has escaped sanctions or any demerit point by the International Cricket Council, with former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath, who was the ICC match referee for that game, rating the pitch as "average."
