Indian players fined for slow over rates after opening one-dayer runs 59 minutes too long

Match referee David Boon has dished out fines for Friday night’s slow over rates, but only one team copped the penalties after the one-dayer went 59 minutes too long.

Adam Zampa celebrates a wicket in Friday’s marathon match. Picture: Getty Images

India’s entire playing XI has been slugged 20 per cent of their match fee for Friday night’s go-slow embarrassment, but the Australians escaped penalty as ex-greats called for harsher punishments.

A bold push from Jason Gillespie to punish teams two runs for every ball ODI matches run over time could get support from Australian stars who admitted their shame in disgusted fans walking out of the SCG for a match that ran 59 minutes too long.

Australian match referee David Boon fined the Indians for being one over short of the target, which Virat Kohli accepted, but Aaron Finch’s side managed to sneak in without penalty.

Steve Smith said it felt like the 8.5 marathon at the SCG which finished at 11.09pm “went all day”, while Adam Zampa conceded something has to be done to stamp out one of the biggest blights on the game.

KFC SuperCoach BBL is back for BBL10! Enter your team today at supercoach.com.au

Former Test players Gillespie and Tom Moody took to social media after the match to declare it was time administrators start hitting teams where it hurts most – on the scoreboard.

Both India and Australia went way over time and it’s felt fines and other obscure punishments introduced by the ICC over the years have failed to make a difference to shockingly slow over rates.

Watch every ODI, T20 & Test Match of India’s tour of Australia LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

It was a long night in the field for the Aussies. Picture: Getty Images

Cricket starved fans voted with their feet by staging a walkout during the last hour of the opening game of the season, scenes normally reserved for dead rubbers at the back end of summers.

Cricket starved fans voted with their feet by staging a walkout during the last hour of the opening game of the season, scenes normally reserved for dead-rubbers at the back end of summers.

Zampa believes both Australia and India will sharpen up their act for Sunday but concedes teams do need to be held accountable.

“I don’t know what the ruling should be or if there should be a punishment but something definitely has to be done about it,” Zampa said.

“From a viewer’s point of view it’s not the best look for the game. But I think it will definitely improve. And hopefully after getting those cobwebs out and getting those miles in the legs you’ll see some more intensity in the next two games.

First ODI: Australia v India

“It’s really hard to put a finger on (why it happened). I think probably a combination of how sloppy both sides were in the field and that probably had a lot to do with the intensity.

“It does take a long while to get back in the swing of things, particularly in ODI cricket … if you haven’t played for a while the intensity isn’t quite there, I think.”

Smith said he felt like many of the 17,821 fans who left early when asked about what had gone wrong.

“Yeah good question. It felt like it went all day,” Smith said.

“That was the longest 50 overs in the field I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.

“I don’t know what to put it down to. Obviously, there was the (pitch invaders) who came on the field in India’s innings which took a bit of time. And I think they went 45 minutes over the scheduled time and we were something similar.

“I don’t know why. Not sure why. But it certainly felt like a long time out there.”

Gillespie claimed over rates simply weren’t good enough in the modern game, while Moody labelled them “ridiculous”.

“The only solution is a run penalty,” Moody posted.

Over rates have got to a ridiculous level in #ODI’s, the only solution is a run penalty. #AUSvIND @ICC

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) November 27, 2020

Meanwhile, Brett Lee has pleaded for cricket to consider relaxing the COVID-19 restrictions that threaten to grind bowlers into the dirt this summer.

International cricket administrators have banned players using saliva to shine the ball, in a move Lee believes has put a major dent in the ability of fast bowlers to take wickets in Australian conditions.

Josh Hazlewood had to resort to bouncers to get his key breakthroughs in Friday night’s ODI opener, as both attacks were punished on the scoreboard in a 374 versus 308 runs-fest.

Lee understands the need for hyper vigilance in the midst of the pandemic, but the champion quick wishes some common sense might prevail for a summer in Australia where there are almost zero cases and the two teams are living in a strict bio-secure bubble.

It is going to be a tough summer for bowlers. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s a really hard one and I understand what the ICC are doing. I get it. And I actually applaud the fact they’re taking all these precautions and putting all these things in place. But the other question I ask too is, if they’re all in the bubble together and they’re all COVID free, I don’t see what the problem with it (is),” Lee said.

“Guys like (Mitchell) Starc and (Pat) Cummins, who are genuine swing bowlers, it’s going to be very hard for those guys.

“You’re taking out a major tool for the fast bowlers. It’s good they’re doing everything possible to stop the spread … but the thing I don’t get is they do the fist bump because they don’t want to shake hands, and then they’re happy to hug each other after the game.

“I’m hoping we can get back to the stage now where Australia is going pretty good and we’re back to a stage where we can actually go back to normal cricket.”

In New Zealand’s opening T20 against the West Indies in Auckland on Friday, the captains shook hands at the toss and sat side-by-side in a press conference after play.

The good from the 1st ODI

Finch/Warner partnership
Finch 100
Smith 100
Maxi’s late hitting
Hardik power
Shikka form
Hazlewood/Zampa

Bad
OVER RATES
Fielding both teams
Idiots running on the ground
Most of the bowling

I think both sides will be better Sunday !

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) November 28, 2020

But Cricket Australia is taking no risks in the start to their summer, wary of what the recent outbreak in Adelaide says about how even Australia’s stranglehold on the virus can slip at a moment’s notice.

Off the field, CA has found a sensible COVID safe policy, with players allowed out of their hotels and to sit outside at restaurants and cafes.

But on the field no chances are being taken, with one perhaps extreme example being the practice of the umpire sanitising the ball any time it’s hit into the crowd.

After watching an entire AFL and NRL winter where players tackled each other and carried on using balls kicked into the stands, there’s a hope that cricket might pull back on some restrictions as the summer evolves.