India fined 20 per cent of match fees for slow over rate in first West Indies ODI

Port of Spain: India have been fined 20 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate against the West Indies in the first ODI at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on Friday.

Richie Richardson of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after India were ruled to be one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

“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 fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time,” said an official release from the ICC.

Pleads guilty

India captain Shikhar Dhawan plead guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Leslie Reifer, third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire Nigel Duguid levelled the charge.

India won the first ODI in thrilling fashion by three runs after pacer Mohammed Siraj defended 15 runs in the final over. The visitors’ had made 308/7 batting first, with Dhawan (97), Shubman Gill (64) and Shreyas Iyer (54) notching up half-centuries.

In the chase of 309, West Indies were driven by half-centuries from Kyle Mayers (75) and Brandon King (54), backed by cameos from Akeal Hosein (32 not out) and Romario Shepherd (39 not out). The hosts’ came very close to the target but fell short by three runs, giving India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.