India have been fined 10 per cent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate in their second ODI against South Africa in Raipur. India had lost the match by four wickets, with South Africa equalling the record for the highest succesfull run chase of all time against India in ODIs to level the series.
India have since gone on to saunter to a nine-wicket win in the third ODI to win the series but the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Monday that they had been found guilty of the offence. “Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after KL Rahul’s side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration,” the ICC said in a statement.
Rahul had been standing in as captain in place of the injured Shubman Gill. “Therefore, India was charged 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.
“The players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time if sanctioned,” the ICC further said. “As stand-in skipper, KL Rahul pled guilty to the charge and accepted the sanction; there was no need for a formal hearing.”
Centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad pushed India to a score of 358/5 batting first in the second ODI. However, opener Aiden Markram set the chase up for South Africa by smashing 110 in 98 balls before half-centuries from Dewald Brevis and Matthew Breetzke got them close. Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj then pushed them over the line, with the Proteas chasing the target down with four wickets and four balls to spare.
The victory for South Africa came within days fo them nearly chasing down a target of 350 against India in the first ODI, with the series itself coming on the heels of their stunning 2-0 whitewash of the hosts in the preceding Test series. However, India then asserted their dominance in the third ODI, dismissing South Africa for 270 and then chasing the target down with more than 10 overs to spare.