Indian cricket sensation Mohammed Siraj has been penalised following his heated dismissal of opening batsman Ben Duckett during the third Test against England at Lord’s. The incident unfolded in the sixth over on the fourth day, when Siraj claimed Duckett’s wicket with a catch at mid-on.
In the throes of celebration, Siraj let out a roar in Duckett’s face and their shoulders collided as Duckett made his exit from the pitch. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has since declared that Siraj will be fined 15 percent of his match fee and given a demerit point.
The charge was levelled under Article 2.5 of the ICC’s code of conduct, which pertains to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal”.
This marks Siraj’s second demerit point within the past 24 months, following a previous sanction for a spat with Australia’s Travis Head during a Test in Adelaide in December 2024. Any player who accumulates four demerit points within a two-year period faces a suspension.
Reflecting on the intense competition, England’s batting coach Marcus Trescothick told BBC Test Match Special at the end of play: “It’s just very competitive, isn’t it? There’s always lines that you’ve got to be wary not to cross, and I think both teams are very passionate about playing the game and winning.
“It’s a big series for everyone to be involved in. It’s understandable at times that tempers are going to get to boiling point, and things will be said, and things happen amongst the two teams.
“We’re comfortable with it. We give as much as we get. Those moments that happen, and people pick up on TV, it just adds for more people to come back and view the game.”
Tensions flared at the close of day three in a heated exchange between the teams, sparked by India’s frustration over England’s Zak Crawley allegedly time-wasting. Crawley, alongside Duckett, managed to play out the clock effectively, facing only one over before the day concluded.
The situation escalated when Crawley, after being struck on the hand by Jasprit Bumrah, called for medical assistance, leading to an encirclement by Indian players urging him to continue playing. The intensity of the moment was captured as India captain Shubman Gill was overheard via the stump microphone exclaiming: “Show some f***ing balls!”.
Yet, accusations of hypocrisy arose as India’s own captain had previously employed delaying tactics. Michael Vaughan, the former England skipper, highlighted this by saying: “India can’t complain because yesterday Gill was down with the hamstring strain – [KL] Rahul was off the field and wouldn’t have been able to open the batting.”
