India, West Indies fined for maintaining slow over-rate in first T20I

Tarouba, Aug 4:  India and West Indies have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first T20I at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago.

India was fined five per cent of their match fee for falling one over short of the minimum over-rate, while West Indies have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for falling two overs short of the minimum over-rate.

Richie Richardson of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Hardik Pandya and Rovman Powell’s sides were ruled to be one and two overs short respectively 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 five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, subject to a cap of 50 per cent of the match fee.

Pandya and Powell pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Gregory Brathwaite and Patrick Gustard, third umpire Nigel Duguid and fourth umpire Leslie Reifer levelled the charges.

Coming to the match, West Indies suffered a slow slowdown in the middle overs -– going from 54/2 after the end of the first six overs to 96/3 at the end of 14 overs. India’s spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel took three wickets between themselves in their nine overs combined.

After Nicholas Pooran fell for 41 off 34 balls, Powell took centre stage by hitting 48 off 32 balls and taking West Indies to 149/6 on a slow pitch. In reply, Tilak Varma shined in his debut with a fine 39 off 22 balls.

But all-round Jason Holder's spell of 2-19, including a double-wicket maiden, helped West Indies get over the line, apart from Romario Shepherd defending 10 runs in the last over, restricting India to 145-9 in 20 overs.  

West Indies now have a 1-0 lead in the five-game series and will play the second T20I against India at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Sunday.