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Rohit Sharma wasn’t happy with Marnus Labuschagne and confronted the Australian for running on the pitch during the first day of the 4th Test in Melbourne.
Rohit Sharma (left) warns Marnus Labuschagne for running on the pitch. (Screengrab)
India captain Rohit Sharma confronted Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne for running on the pitch on Day 1 of the fourth Test that got underway in Melbourne on Thursday. An annoyed Rohit exchanged a few words with Labuschagne who went on to score a half-century.
Batters, deliberately or inadvertently, running on the protected area of the pitch can damage the surface which in turn helps the bowler. A team infringing the law twice can be slapped with a five-run penalty.
As per the law, protected are is “that area of the pitch contained within a rectangle bounded at each end by imaginary lines parallel to the popping creases and 5 ft/1.52 m in front of each, and on the sides by imaginary lines, one each side of the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps, each parallel to it and 1 ft/30.48 cm from it”.
As per the MCC Law 41.14 that deals with batters damaging the pitch, “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.
“If either batter causes deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch, other than as in 41.15, at the first instance the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler’s end umpire shall then warn both batters that the practice is unfair and indicate that this is a first and final warning. This warning shall apply throughout the innings. The umpire shall so inform each incoming batter, inform the captain of the fielding side and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of what has occurred.
“If there is any further instance of deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch by any batter in that innings, the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence.
“The bowler’s end umpire shall disallow all runs to the batting side, return any not out batter to his/her original end, signal no-ball or wide to the scorers if applicable, and award 5 penalty runs to the fielding side.”
Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan, who were on commentary duties, pointed out the infringement and questioned why the umpires were keeping silent.
“Rohit Sharma is telling Marnus Labuschagne to not run on the pitch…This is the job of umpire (to warn batters),” Pathan said.
Gavaskar claimed debutant Sam Konstas, who scored 60, was also guilty.
“And Sam Konstas was doing the same. If you would’ve watched Sam Konstas, he was running on the pitch and nobody warned him,” he said.
“…they (umpires) are just watching Rohit and Labuschagne having a chat. Look, the umpire is just watching,” he added.
- Location :
Melbourne (Australia)
