India vs England 3rd Test: 5 Run Penalty for Indian team

The third test match between India and England started yesterday at Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium, Rajkot. India has been reaching for a respectable score even after getting some early blows during Day 1. Ravichandran Ashwin and debutant Dhruv Jurel are taking the first innings score of India beyond 400, but earlier in the match, when Rehan Ahmed was bowling the 102nd over of the innings, Ravichandran Ashwin, after defending the delivered ball, successfully ran down the pitch straight and was immediately stopped by the on-field umpire Joel Wilson and punished India with a 5-run penalty.

Earlier on Day 1, Ravindra Jadeja was warned by the umpire for running in the middle of the pitch, and Ravichandran Ashwin repeated the offense on Day 2, due to which England will now start their innings with five runs on the board without facing a single ball. Here, India broke rule number 41 of the MCC Rulebook, which states:

Law 41 of MCC’s rulebook states “unfair play”, the protected area on a pitch is defined as “that area of the pitch contained within a rectangle bounded at each end by imaginary lines parallel to the popping creases and 5 ft/1.52 m in front of each, and on the sides by imaginary lines, one each side of the imaginary line joining the centres of the two middle stumps, each parallel to it and 1 ft/30.48 cm from it.”
Law 41.14.2 provides that if a batter causes deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch, then the bowler’s end umpire shall then warn both batters, and such warning shall apply throughout the innings. Law 41.14.3 provides for a five-run penalty to be imposed on the guilty side in case the offence is repeated after the first and final warning.
MCC Rulebook

The England team as of now has to take one wicket more to close the first innings for India.