The ICC was quick to take action against Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando for their on-field spat on day 1 of the IND vs SL 2nd Test, handing both players fines and demerit points.
Things got heated between the Indian opener and the Sri Lankan speedster in the opening session of the Colombo Test on Sunday.
Bowling from around the wicket angle, Fernando dismissed Jaiswal for 45 runs with a terrific delivery that drifted in and seamed into the batter. Jaiswal, unable to go back to the back-of-length delivery, played a casual punch and missed the ball completely before hearing the death rattle.
Fernando was pumped with the wicket and celebrated aggressively and maybe hurled some words towards the Indian opener. Jaiswal had begun his walk to the dressing room but turned around upon hearing something and walked right into the Sri Lankan hurdle towards Fernando.
Both players unleashed verbal volleys at each other and even touched their heads for a brief moment. The Sri Lankan players quickly moved both players away from each other before Jaiswal resumed in the direction of the dressing room, looking furious.
ICC adds demerit points to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando’s disciplinary records
Only a day after the incident, the ICC released a statement, confirming sanctions for both players for “inappropriate physical contact.”
The ICC found Jaiswal and Fernando guilty of breaching Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel and fined both players 25% of their match fee and handed them one demerit point each.
This is the first demerit point for both players in the preceding 24-month period.
The ICC stated, “The India batter walked towards Fernando and the two exchanged words, after which Fernando moved his head towards Jaiswal. In response, Jaiswal leant in, resulting in their heads making contact.”
Both cricketers accepted the sanctions by match referee Andy Pycroft, and therefore, no formal hearing was required.
This India will fight and reply: Yashasvi Jaiswal on incident with Fernando
Jaiswal didn’t hold back on social media. He commented under a Cricbuzz video of Harsha Bhogle, alleging that Fernando had provoked him.
“If you don’t know what he said then please don’t make your judgment if anyone cross the line we need to let them know this India will fight and reply [sic] ” Jaiswal commented on Instagram.
After day 1, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had undermined the Jaiswal-Fernando tussle as a “heat of the moment” incident, backing Jaiswal that Fernando had irked the Indian batter.
“I think the bowler commented something, and it happened in the heat of moment. Obviously Jaiswal shouldn’t have gone so close to him, but it happened in the heat of the moment,” Sitanshu Kotak said.
Jaiswal’s only action on day 2 came late in the day when he plucked a sensational catch at third slip to dismiss Sri Lanka opener Lahiru Udara off Prasidh Krishna.
By stumps on day 2, Sri Lanka are 8/2 in reply to India’s mammoth score of 503/9 that was made on the back of centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel and fifties from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.
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