India vs New Zealand: Why was Sarfaraz Khan warned by umpires?

At the start of the 33rd over of the third Test in Mumbai, umpire Richard Illingworth was seen having a long chat with Rohit Sharma, with Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin listening in from nearby. The umpires were apparently asking Rohit to instruct Sarfaraz Khan to stop talking when the bowler was ready to bowl.

Daryl Mitchell first complained in the 27th over, when Ravindra Jadeja was in the middle of his spell. Approximately six overs later, when Jadeja was set to bowl again, the umpires addressed Mitchell's concerns.

Sarfaraz was standing close to the batter at forward short-leg when he was evidently chirping. It is unclear whether he was egging his teammates or directing some words at the batter. However, according to Law 41 of the MCC, which relates to unfair play, a deliberate attempt to distract the batter can lead to a warning and a five-run penalty for the fielding side.

The law further states:

"41.4  Deliberate attempt to distract striker

"41.4.1 It is unfair for any fielder deliberately to attempt to distract the striker while he/she is preparing to receive or receiving a delivery.

"41.4.2   If either umpire considers that any action by a fielder is such an attempt, he/she shall immediately call and signal Dead ball and inform the other umpire of the reason for the call.

"The bowler's end umpire shall award five penalty runs to the batting side inform the captain of the fielding side, the batters and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of the reason for the action.

"Neither batter shall be dismissed from that delivery and the ball shall not count as one of the over. However, if either umpire had reason to call and signal No ball, he/she shall do so regardless of the attempt to distract, and this call shall stand.

"Together with the other umpire, report the occurrence as soon as possible after the match to the Executive of the offending side and to any Governing Body responsible for the match, who shall take such action as is considered appropriate against the captain, any other individuals concerned and, if appropriate, the team."

Earlier, New Zealand had won the toss and elected to bat first. They have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with wins in Bengaluru and Pune. The Blackcaps have defeated India in India in a Test series for the first time. A win in the ongoing Test could see them be the first team to whitewash India in their backyard since 2000.

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.