England’s first innings in the third Test against India, in Rajkot, started at the score of 5-0. It was even before a ball was bowled that England had already gotten 5 runs in their account.
This happened because of the transgressions made by Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin of running on the danger area of the pitch during India’s first innings.
ENGLAND GETS THE PENALTY…!!!
India penalised 5 runs for running on the pitch – England will start their innings with 5/0. pic.twitter.com/v50h0Zq16G
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 16, 2024
Why England’s innings started at 5-0 in 3rd Test in Rajkot?
Because India had been given a 5-run penalty by the umpires due to Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin running on the protected area of the pitch during India’s innings, England’s innings started with their score already being 5.
On Day 1, Ravindra Jadeja was given the first and final warning by the on-field umpire for running on the protected area of the pitch, also known as the danger area of the pitch.
Then, in the first session on day 2, it was R Ashwin who ran on the same area and since this was the second warning in a team innings, umpire Joel Wilson gave India a penalty of 5 runs – which meant that England already got 5 runs, counted as extras, in their account even before their innings started.
The law states that the protected area is the “area of the pitch contained within a rectangle bounded at each end by imaginary lines parallel to the popping creases and 5 ft/1.52 m in front of each, and on the sides by imaginary lines, one each side of the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps, each parallel to it and 1 ft/30.48 cm from it”.
Ashwin seemed upset with Wilson for the warning and the consequent penalty runs, and argued with the umpire, but to no avail.
Former England captain Alastair Cook smelled something fishy with Ashwin and alleged that Ashwin was doing it on purpose to dent the pitch that would help India when they come to bowl.
“Is it deliberate? Yes, it is,” Alastair Cook said on TNT Sports. “It’s a tactical ploy that you can disturb the middle of the wicket because Ashwin wants as much help [as possible] when he can bowl. Normally, it happens in the third innings. You’re 150-200 runs ahead and you think, ‘just make sure you get up and down the wicket’… that was gamesmanship there, wasn’t it?”
India, meanwhile, were bowled out for 445.
Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav Convinced Sarfaraz Khan’s Father To Watch His Son’s Debut in Rajkot
