Australia and India have been handed hefty fines for maintaining slow over rates in the ICC World Test Championship Final held at The Oval.India slipped to defeat early on day five of the WTC Final, losing by 209 runs to Australia on Sunday.
An additional 15 minutes were taken at the end of the session to allow the final wicket to be taken, and Nathan Lyon picked up the scalp of Mohammed Siraj to secure Australia the WTC title.
India have been fined 100 percent of their match fee while Australia docked 80 percent of their match fee due to their sluggish over rates, breaching Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.
Article 2.22 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.Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after India were ruled to be five overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration while Australia were found to be four overs short, the ICC release said.
Both the captains Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins pled guilty and accepted the proposed sanctions and there was no need for formal hearings.Meanwhile, India opener Shubman Gill will also face a sanction for appearing to criticise the decision to give him out on the fourth day of the Test, breaching Article 2.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to "public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match."
In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Gill's disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period. The young opener has accepted the sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
The incident occurred after the fourth day's play when Gill criticised the umpiring decision for his dismissal in the second innings of the match on social media.Television umpire Richard Kettleborough adjudged that a catch by Cameron Green to remove Gill had been taken cleanly. Then, Gill took to social media later in the day to make a post that appeared to question the decision.
On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Richard Kettleborough and fourth umpire Kumar Dharmasena leveled the charges.