Utility all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been handed one demerit point and fined 25 per cent of his match fee for applying soothing cream to his index finger without permission from the on-field umpires during the first innings in the first Test against Australia at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur.
Jadeja was found guilty of a Level 1 offence as per the ICC Code of conduct. Hence he was given the punishment as per the rule.
However, the ICC match officials are satisfied that the cream was not used as an artificial substance to alter the condition of the ball.
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a devastating spell of 12 overs to claim five wickets for 37 runs as India bowled out Australia for 91 in their second innings to win the first Test of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series by an innings and 132 runs.
In reply to Australia’s first innings score of 177, India were bundled out for 400 thanks to a brilliant half century by Axar Patel (84, 174b, 10x4, 1x6). Comeback man Jadeja (70, 185b, 9x4) followed up his brilliant five-wicket haul with a fighting half-century to put India in a formidable position. Mohammed Shami (37, 47b, 2x4, 3x6) also played a useful cameo lower down the order to complement Axar well.