Team India amassed a massive score of 445 runs in the first innings of the third Test in Rajkot against England. Skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's tons lifted India from the first session mess on Day 1 before Sarfaraz Khan's stylish knock and on the second day, it was a combined effort from R Ashwin, debutant Dhruv Jurel and late runs from Jasprit Bumrah that helped India get to a strong score. However, the score for India will effectively be 440 runs after the hosts were slapped with a 5-run penalty by the umpire Joel Wilson.
Wilson warned Ashwin after he was seen running on the centre area of the pitch area, which was the third time an Indian batter did so in the innings. Jadeja and Sarfaraz were warned by the on-field umpires on the opening day regarding the same issue and the third warning meant that India were handed a penalty of five runs.
As per MCC Law 41.14.1 under the 'Unfair Play' section, "It is unfair to cause deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch. If the striker enters the protected area in playing or playing at the ball, he/she must move from it immediately thereafter. A batter will be deemed to be causing avoidable damage if either umpire considers that his/her presence on the pitch is without reasonable cause.”
The law provides the umpire with the power of giving the batting team the first and the final warning and if the same offence is repeated in the same innings by any other batter of the same team, a five-run penalty will be awarded to the fielding team.
Hence, England began their innings at 5/0 without a single ball being bowled which became 6/0 as Jasprit Bumrah bowled a no-ball at the start. England have a huge challenge on their hands as it will not be easy for them to overhaul such a huge score, let alone getting a lead as some balls are keeping really low and the ones bowled slow through the air are gripping, which the likes of Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Ashwin will exploit.
