India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando have been fined 25 per cent of their match fees and handed one demerit point each following their on-field alteraction during the first day of the second Test in Colombo.
Both Jaiswal and Fernando admitted to the offence and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel. As a result, no formal hearing was required. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed the sanctions on Monday, stating that both players breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to inappropriate physical contact during an international match.
The incident occurred during the 17th over of India’s first innings at the Sinhalese Sports Club. As Jaiswal walked back towards the pavilion, an exchange of words took place between the two players. Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel then added valuable runs on the second day as India continued to build a substantial first-innings total.
Fernando dismissed Jaiswal for 45 with a delivery that moved into the left-hander. Devdutt Padikkal scored 117, while Shubman Gill also contributed a half-century.
No previous demerit points for either player
Since both players accepted the charges and proposed sanctions, the matter did not proceed to a formal hearing. Following the altercation, the incident also became a talking point among cricket commentators and fans. Former commentator Harsha Bhogle had suggested that Jaiswal could have walked away after his dismissal.
The ICC confirmed that neither Jaiswal nor Fernando had received a demerit point in the previous 24 months. The one demerit point issued to each player will now be added to their respective disciplinary records, alongside the 25 per cent fine.
Jaiswal later responded to the comments on social media, asking Bhogle not to make a judgement without knowing what had been said during the exchange.
