England will start their first innings in the ongoing 3rd Test against India on 5/0 as the hosts were penalized 5 runs on Friday after two instances of running on the 'protected area' of the pitch were noticed by on-field umpires.
Umpire Joel Wilson signaled 5 penalty runs on day 2’s first sessions after R Ashwin ran on the protected area of the pitch while batting with debutant wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
The incident occurred in the 102nd over of the Indian innings when R Ashwin pushed a delivery from Rehan Ahmed to the off-side and set out for a single. Ashwin took 2-3 steps on the protected area of the pitch before moving away from it.
Umpire Joel Wilson noticed Ashwin's act and immediately signaled 5 penalty runs. Those runs were awarded to the fielding side, in this case, England. It was the second warning to an Indian batter for running on the protected area. Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja, who scored a ton, received a warning on Day 2.
R Ashwin sought clarification from umpire Joel Wilson as the India batter was seen talking to the on-field umpire multiple times after the penalty runs were awarded to England.
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Running on the protected area of the pitch amounts to 'unfair play' and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Laws state the following:
1. 41.14.1: 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.
2. 41.14.2: If either batter causes deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch at the first instance the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler's end umpire shall then warn both batters that the practice is unfair and indicate that this is a first and final warning. This warning shall apply throughout the innings. The umpire shall so inform each incoming batter, inform the captain of the fielding side, and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred.
3. 41.14.3: If there is any further instance of deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch by any batter in that innings, the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence.
The bowler's end umpire shall disallow all runs to the batting side, return any not-out batter to his/her original end, signal No ball or Wide to the scorers if applicable, or award 5 penalty runs to the fielding side.
India had lost Ravindra Jadeja for 112 runs and Kuldeep Yadav had been dismissed for 4 runs early on day 2. At lunch break, India had made 388/7 with R Ashwin unbeaten on 25 and Dhruv Jurel on 31*.
