India opener Shubman Gill has been sanctioned for public criticism of match officials amid a number of fines handed down by the ICC after Australia’s World Test Championship triumph.
Gill will be fined 15 per cent of his match fee after he took to social media apparently questioning his controversial second-innings dismissal, after a low diving catch from Cameron Green.
India’s entire team has also been fined 100 per cent of their match fees for being five overs behind in a match plagued by tardiness.
The Australians have also not escaped lightly, being fined 80 per cent of their fees for the same offence. A total of 37 overs were lost over the first four days.
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But the flashpoint of the match was Green’s catch.
After he dived low to his left to grasp the chance, Gill remained at the crease while third-umpire Richard Kettleborough determined the ball did not touch the grass before Green had control of it.
Gill then took to social media after day four with an image of the catch, two magnifying glass emojis and a face palm.
India captain Rohit Sharma also made his frustration clear on the field when Gill was given out, but has avoided being charged over the incident.
It came as Green was subjected to chants of “cheat, cheat, cheat” by the pro-India crowd at The Oval, along with significant backlash online over the decision.
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Australia’s captain Pat Cummins defended Green and Kettleborough after the match.
“They are passionate fans, but I thought it was a fair catch,” Cummins said after Australia’s win.
“It was an absolute screamer and obviously we’re just players, we’re out on the field so we leave it in the umpire’s hands.
“And personally, probably the best umpire in the world, he knows the rule books, he’s seen every angle.
“I’d probably back his decision more so than emotional, passionate fans that are looking on a big screen from 100 metres away.”
Sharma said his on-field frustration revolved around the time it took to make the decision.
The call came at a crucial time, with India 0-41 and Gill and Sharma firing in pursuit of 444.
“The third umpire should have seen a little more replays of how the catch has been held,” Sharma said.
“I think it was three or four times he saw and he was convinced with it.
“When a catch like that has been taken, you need to be more than 100 per cent sure because it’s a final and we were at that important stage of the game as well.
“More camera angles should have been shown. There was only one or two camera angles that were shown.
“We’ve got 10 different angles in IPL. I don’t know why in a world event like this, there was no ultra motion that was seen or any kind of zoomed image was seen.”
-AAP
