For maintaining a slow over-rate in their Group A match of the Asia Cup on Sunday, August 28, both India and Pakistan have been fined 40% of their match fees. After accounting for time allowances, Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees determined that Babar Azam’s and Rohit Sharma’s teams fell two overs short of their respective targets. Players are fined 20% of their match fees for each over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which addresses minimum over-rate offences.
There was no need for a formal hearing because both captains entered pleas of guilty to the offence and agreed to the suggested punishment.
The accusations were made by the on-field umpires Masudur Rahman and Ruchira Pilliyaguruge, third umpire Raveendra Wimalasiri, and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel.
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As the game began, Pakistan was dismissed for 147 runs in 19.5 overs. Only Iftikhar Ahmed (28) and opener Mohammed Rizwan (43) were able to make a decent contribution with the bat. Pakistani batters were completely overwhelmed by the pace and short deliveries of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/26), Hardik Pandya (3/25) and Arshdeep Singh (2/33) and Avesh Khan (1/19), and wickets continued to fall regularly.
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India lost KL Rahul for a duck in the first over of their 148-run chase. After that, the innings were led by Virat Kohli (35) and the captain, Rohit Sharma (12), who both struggled at the other end and put together a 49-run partnership. India was held to 3/53 by Mohammed Nawaz’s twin strikes, which resulted in the dismissals of Sharma and Kohli.
Following this, the scoreboard was moved by a 36-run partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Suryakumar Yadav before Suryakumar was struck out for 18 by rookie Naseem Shah. India came close to winning the match thanks to a 52-run partnership between Jadeja (35) and Hardik Pandya (33*). With two balls remaining, the in-form Pandya hit a six to give India a five-wicket victory.
Pakistan’s bowlers Nawaz (3/33) and Naseem Shah (2/27) performed admirably, but not well enough to secure a victory.
Pandya’s all-around performance earned him the title of “Man of the Match.”
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