India handed five-run penalty after batters run along middle of pitch during third Test against England

India were on Friday handed a five-run penalty for a second offence of their batters running on the middle of the pitch during the third Test against England here.

The penalty means England will start their first innings at 5/0 without even a ball being bowled.

India were penalised as a result of all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin running along the middle of the pitch. Ashwin was reprimanded by on-field umpire Joel Wilson.

India reached 388/7 in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the third Test against England here on Friday.

Ravichandran Ashwin and debutant Dhruv Jurel were batting on 25 and 31 respectively at the break.

India resumed the second day’s play on their overnight score of 326/5 with Ravindra Jadeja and night-watchman Kuldeep Yadav at the crease.

Both Jadeja and Kuldeep, however, got out at the start of the day with Joe Root and James Anderson accounting for the two wickets.

Wilson was seen having a word with Ashwin for running on the middle of the pitch after the third ball of the 102nd over of the India innings during the second day’s play. Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja was also guilty of committing the same offence.

Ashwin gently worked the ball off Rehan Ahmed and immediately set off for a single without perhaps realising where he was running, but was eventually sent back by debutant Dhruv Jurel.