India handed five-run penalty after England star 'snitches' on opposition batter

16 February 2024 , 07:58

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Umpire Joel Wilson talks to Ravichandran Ashwin after signalling five penalty runs (Image: Philip Brown/Popperfoto)

India earned a rare five-run penalty in their Test match against England on Friday as the home side were punished for disturbing a protected area of the pitch.

Ravichandran Ashwin was adjudged to have ran up the pitch unnecessarily in the 102nd over of India's first innings with umpire Joel Wilson penalising the batsman, who had looked to earn a run before being sent back by teammate Dhruv Jurel. Ashwin, 37, remonstrated with the official but had little defence after India had been warned for a similar action on day one, when Ravindra Jadeja earned his team's final warning for running on the protected area.

Former England captain Alistair Cook believes the tourists played their part in ensuring the sanction and highlighted the roles of Ollie Pope and Joe Root in the field. Cook suggested that Pope 'snitched' to raise awareness of India's actions.

He said on TNT Sport: "I've never seen the warning of five runs to start with. I've never seen it actually played out like that.

"The bit I liked about it was Ollie Pope snitching in straight away. I like Ollie Pope going straight up and saying Jadeja stamped his feet.

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"There's the snitch, there he is saying right on there sir. If we go to the next one, Joe Root. We've got England's number three, Ollie Pope complaining, England's number four batsman, look at Rooty at slip, arm in the air point straight to Joel Wilson. Doesn't often get LBW decisions right but he's very good at spotting the danger zone.

"Is it deliberate? Yes it is. It's a tactic employed that you can disturb the middle of the wicket because Ashwin wants as much help when he can bowl. Normally it happens in the third innings if you're 150-200 runs ahead, you think lads just get up and down the wicket."

Umpire Joel Wilson signals five penalty runs after Ravichandran Ashwin ran on the pitch during day two of the 3rd Test Match between India and England at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Philip Brown/Popperfoto)

The penalty means that England will begin their innings at 5-0 with Ashwin judged to have breached Law 41.4 (batter damaging the pitch). That states that “a batter will be deemed to be causing avoidable damage if if either umpire considers that his/her presence on the pitch is without reasonable cause.

India were 358 for 7 at the time of the penalty after England dismissed Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja within the first hour of play on day two in Rajkot.

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