India Vs England, 3rd Test: Why Were Hosts Handed A Five Run Penalty In Rajkot? Explained

In the first session on Day 2 of their Rajkot Test against England, India were deemed guilty of a second infringement and handed a five-run penalty by umpire Joel Wilson. (Streaming | Cricket News)

The official found Ravichandran Ashwin culpable of running through the middle of the pitch - an area that is kept out of bounds for runnings between the wickets - a day after Ravindra Jadeja was at fault for the same.

As a result, England were granted five runs without facing a single ball, which will be reflected when they come out to bat for their first of two innings. The Three Lions will, however, still have a mountain to climb, with the hosts looking primed to cross the 400-run mark at the time of writing (lunch, Day 2).

What Does The Law Say?

This particular scenario falls under MCC's law 41.14.1, which, in turn, comes under Unfair Play section. It says, "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."

Furthermore, the law claims that the entire team - and not just one player - will receive a first and final warning. A second infringement, meanwhile, will result in a five-run penalty - as had transpired in Rajkot on Friday, February 16.

India vs England, 3rd Test, Playing XIs

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.