Jadeja fined for applying cream on swollen index finger without permission from umpires
Nagpur (PTI): India's hero in the opening Test victory over Australia here, Ravindra Jadeja was on Saturday fined 25 per cent of his match fee for applying cream on the swollen index finger of his bowling hand without taking permission from the on-field umpires on the first day of the match.
Jadeja, who returned figures of 7/81 and contributed 70 runs in the match that India won by an innings and 132 runs, was seen in a video receiving something from pace bowler Mohammed Siraj and rubbing it on his left index finger.
The Indian all-rounder's act had the Australian media and a former player "interested", but the ICC said the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes and it did not change the condition of the ball.
Jadeja action was deemed to have breached "Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game".
"India spin bowler Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Test against Australia in Nagpur on Thursday," the ICC said in a statement.
"In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Jadeja's disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period."
The ICC said the incident occurred in the 46th over of Australia's first innings, when Jadeja applied "a soothing cream to a swelling on the index finger of his bowling hand without asking for permission to do so from the on-field umpires".
Jadeja admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
"In reaching his decision to sanction the player along with the Level 1 sanction he imposed, the Match Referee was satisfied that the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes.
"The cream was not applied as an artificial substance to the ball and consequently it did not change the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions -- Unfair Play-The Match Ball -- Changing its Condition."
On-field umpires Nitin Menon and Richard Illingworth, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan levelled the charge.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player's match fee, and one or two demerit points.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Nearly 4,000 pilgrims set sail for Katchatheevu islet to participate in annual two-day festival
Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): Nearly 4,000 Indian pilgrims on Friday set sail for the uninhabited Katchatheevu islet to participate in the annual two-day festival, which will officially commence at 4 pm at the St Antony’s Church, officials said.
The festival marks a significant moment of shared cultural and religious heritage between India and Sri Lanka.
The first batch of devotees was flagged off from the Rameswaram fishing harbour at approximately 6 am by Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon.
ALSO READ: Explosions and aircraft sounds heard in Kabul, hours after Afghanistan attacks Pakistan
According to official records, a total of 3,996 registered pilgrims -- comprising 3,033 men, 726 women, and 150 children -- are crossing the Palk Strait in a fleet of 118 boats, which includes 92 mechanised trawlers and 26 country boats.
The festival will officially commence with a traditional flag-hoisting ceremony. This will be followed by the 'Way of the Cross' procession and a late-night chariot festival, where the statue of the patron saint will be carried around the shrine by Sri Lankan Navy personnel, sources said.
Strict security measures are in place, with the Indian Coast Guard and Customs department conducting a three-tier verification process at the Rameswaram jetty. All pilgrims were required to produce their Aadhaar cards and a mandatory Police No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Authorities have strictly prohibited the carriage of plastic items, alcohol, and excessive jewellery.
According to official sources, all vessels are equipped with adequate life jackets and are being escorted by Coast Guard hovercrafts up to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
The festivities will reach their peak on Saturday morning with a Special High Mass conducted by the Bishops of Jaffna and Colombo in both Tamil and Sinhala. The event will conclude with the lowering of the flag, after which the Indian pilgrims will begin their return journey.
To facilitate the event, the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department has enforced a total fishing ban in the region until March 1, leaving over 1,000 local boats moored at the docks to ensure clear passage for the pilgrim fleet.
The islet was ceded to Sri Lanka by India by ways of two agreements in 1970s.
