The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday the pitch in Nagpur, the venue for the third Test match between India and South Africa, has received a "poor" rating from Match Referee Jeff Crowe.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) now has 14 days to put forward a response in the matter.
"In accordance with Clause 3 of the Process, ICC Match Referee Jeff Crowe submitted his report to the ICC expressing the concerns of the match officials over the performance of the pitch. This report has been forwarded to the BCCI, which now has 14 days to provide its response," said the statement from the ICC.
The response from the governing body of cricket in India, coupled with proper inspection of the video footage as well as all related evidences, will determine whether the BCCI will be fined by the ICC.
"After the BCCI has submitted its response, ICC General Manager – Cricket Geoff Allardice and Chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle will consider all the evidence, including studying video footage of the match, before reaching their decision on whether the pitch was poor, and if so, whether a penalty should be imposed," the statement added.
Virat Kohli's men won the third Test match against the Proteas by a 124-run margin in just three days, and also snagged the four-match Test series in the process.