Why England started their innings at 5/0 against India in third Test at Rajkot?

England started their first innings at 5/0 in the third Test against India which is being played at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium in Rajkot. The visiting team were given an advantage of five runs after India were penalised for running on the danger area of the pitch. After Ravichandran Ashwin was found guilty of running on the middle of the pitch on Day 2 of the Test, umpire Joel Wilson signalled a penalty of five runs for Team India. This means England started their innings at 5/0.

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This was the second time in the ongoing Test when an Indian player was warned for running on the middle of the pitch after Ravindra Jadeja was given the first and final warning on Day 1 for running on the protected area.

This is what MCC’s law 41.14.1, which is part of Unfair Play section, sates: “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.”

The law adds that the team will be given “a first and final warning” for the whole innings and if the incident is repeated again during the innings, even if by another member of the same team, the batting side be given a five-run penalty.

India were also involved the last time such a thing happened in Test cricket in 2016-17. At that time also Jadeja was the guilty party for running on the middle of the pitch against New Zealand.