WTC Final 2023: Shubman Gill handed a hefty fine for his reaction towards controversial catch

After the ICC World Test Championship final between India and Australia, Team India opener Shubman Gill found himself in hot water. The entire Indian team was penalized with a 100% fine for maintaining a slow over-rate in the title decider. However, Gill received an additional 15% fine on his match fee for dissenting against the third umpire’s decision that led to his dismissal in the second innings. Meanwhile, the Australian team was also fined 80% of their match fee for their slow over-rate.

Gill’s catch

Gill’s controversial catch in the second innings sparked a social media frenzy, with many criticizing the third umpire for favoring the bowling team. The young opener took to his social media platforms to express his dissatisfaction with the decision. Consequently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed an additional fine on Gill for breaching article 2.7, which prohibits public criticism or inappropriate comments regarding incidents occurring in international matches.

According to an ICC release, television umpire Richard Kettleborough had deemed that a catch by Cameron Green to dismiss Gill was taken cleanly. Later in the day, Gill’s social media post appeared to question the decision, leading to the disciplinary action by the ICC.

The statement from the ICC also stated that India fell five overs short of the target after time allowances were considered, while Australia was found to be four overs short. The sanctions imposed on both teams were in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. This article stipulates that players receive a 20% fine of their match fee for each over their team bowls beyond the allocated time.

In another disappointing final appearance in the World Test Championship, Team India suffered a resounding 209-run defeat against Australia at The Oval. With a challenging target of 444 runs to chase, India could only manage a meager 234 runs before getting bowled out. The fifth and final day of the Test started with India at 164/3, but the team lost all seven remaining wickets within the opening session. 

The batting collapse was initiated by Virat Kohli, who went after a wide delivery from Scott Boland and handed a catch to Steve Smith at slips. Subsequently, the remaining six wickets tumbled in quick succession, adding just 55 runs to the scoreboard.

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