
Lord's Test: Mohammed Siraj fined for aggressive celebration
What's the story
Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15% of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the third Test match against England at Lord's. The incident occurred on Day 4 when Siraj dismissed Ben Duckett and celebrated aggressively, which could provoke an aggressive reaction from the batter. He was found guilty under Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.
Match incident
What exactly happened?
Siraj's aggressive celebration after dismissing Duckett in the sixth over of England's second innings, prompted an intervention from the on-field umpire. The bowler had delivered a 140kph back-of-a-length ball just outside off, which Duckett attempted to pull down the ground but failed. As Bumrah took the catch at mid-on, Siraj charged toward Duckett, celebrating loudly and even making a shoulder gesture before the umpire intervened.
Rising tensions
Incident added to already tense atmosphere on field
Siraj's actions further escalated the already tense atmosphere on the field. The incident followed a verbal exchange between Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley on Day 3, after India sarcastically applauded Crawley's call for a physio. This led to words exchanged between players and Siraj's reaction on Saturday morning only added to the tensions between both sides.
Disciplinary action
One demerit point added to Siraj's disciplinary record
Along with the fine, one demerit point has been added to Siraj's disciplinary record. This is his second offense in a 24-month period, taking his tally to two demerit points. If a player accumulates four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and can lead to a ban from future matches. Notably, the pacer claimed two wickets across both innings at Lord's.
Summary
Can India chase 193 at Lord's?
Team India has a golden opportunity to win the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Lord's. They bowled out England for just 192 runs on Day 4, with off-spinner Washington Sundar taking four wickets and pacers doing their bit. Both teams had scored 387 in their first innings, but England's second innings collapse has given India a target of just 193 runs. However, by the end of Day 4, they were reduced to 58/4.