India vs West Indies 1st T20I: ICC Reprimands Both Teams For Slow Over-Rate

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Dubai, August 4: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fined both India and West Indies for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first T20 International of the five-match series at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday (August 3).

While India were fined five per cent of their match fee for falling one over short of the minimum over-rate, West Indies have been docked 10 per cent of their match fee for falling two overs short of the minimum over-rate.

Richie Richardson of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Hardik Pandya and Rovman Powell's sides were ruled to be one and two overs short respectively of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, subject to a cap of 50 per cent of the match fee.

According to an ICC release, Pandya and Powell pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Gregory Brathwaite and Patrick Gustard, third umpire Nigel Duguid and fourth umpire Leslie Reifer levelled the charges.

Opting to bat, West Indies, who rode on knocks from Nicholas Pooran (41 off 34 balls) and skipper Rovman Powell (48 off 32 balls) to score a total of 149/6. Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed two wickets each in India vs West Indies 1st T20I.

In the run chase, only debutant Tilak Varma (39 off 22 balls) made a meaningful contirbution for the visitors as the home side's bowling unit stepped up to defend a rather small target by restricting Pandya's side to 145/9, resulting a four-run win.

India will look to bounce back when they take on West Indies in the second match of the five-match series, which will be played at Providence, Guyana on Sunday (August 6).