Ajinkya Rahane and Tim Paine
Australia have been fined 40 per cent match fee and penalised four ICC World Test Championship points for their slow over-rate against India in the Boxing Day clash at the MCG. The Tim Paine-led side was two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
On-field umpires Bruce Oxenford and Paul Reiffel, third umpire Paul Wilson and fourth umpire Gerard Abood levelled the charge. Paine pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction which was imposed by match referee David Boon. At present, Australia are sitting at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table with 322 points, followed by India and New Zealand on 390 and 300 points respectively.
“In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time,” the ICC said in a statement.
“In addition, as per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is penalised two points for each over short. Consequently, four World Test Championship points have been deducted from Australia’s points in total. Paine pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.”
In the second Test of the four-match series, Australia were handed an eight-wicket defeat by Ajinkya Rahane-led India on Tuesday. Coming back strongly after their horrendous batting show in Adelaide, the Indian team, in regular skipper Virat Kohli's absence, clinched a comprehensive victory in Melbourne to level the series 1-1.
Stand-in skipper Rahane was adjudged Player of the Match for his spectacular hundred in the first innings. The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy is scheduled to start from January 7 in Sydney.
