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After a defeat at Headingley, India aimed to bounce back in the Edgbaston Test against England. The visitors have maintained control of the ongoing Test series, largely due to captain Shubman Gill’s 269-run knock, which helped India amass a formidable 587 runs in their first innings. However, controversy has erupted over an incident involving Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 89 runs, leaving England pacer Chris Woakes visibly frustrated.
The issue revolves around Jadeja allegedly breaching the ‘Danger Zone’ rule, which prohibits batters from running on the protected area of the pitch. Jadeja has previously been penalized for this offense, and this time, on-field umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat issued a warning to the Indian all-rounder. According to ICC regulations, repeated violations could be deemed ‘deliberate or avoidable harm,’ resulting in a five-run penalty for the batting side. The incident occurred in the second over of Day 2 at Edgbaston. While attempting a quick single off Woakes’ delivery, Jadeja ran down the middle of the pitch. Although he abandoned the run due to the risk of a run-out, umpire Saikat cautioned him before the next delivery. The ‘Danger Zone’ refers to the central part of the pitch, and running through it can lead to penalties if repeated after a warning. Later in the same over, Woakes raised the same issue again, this time joined by England captain Ben Stokes. Pointing at Jadeja, Stokes remarked, “Look, what you’ve done.” In response, Jadeja defended himself, saying, “But I came from this side (outside the center). I’m not bowling, so why would I go there? My focus is entirely on batting.” At the post-day press conference, Jadeja addressed the controversy, stating, “They (Woakes and Stokes) thought I was making things harder for myself. Pacers might do this, but I don’t need to. He kept telling the umpire I was running on the wicket. I had no such intention. Maybe I did it once or twice by mistake, but it wasn’t deliberate.” This isn’t the first time Jadeja has been involved in such a controversy. In 2016-17, during a Test against New Zealand in Indore, India was docked five runs for Jadeja running on the pitch. He was also fined 50% of his match fee and handed three demerit points. Additionally, in the 2024 IPL, Jadeja faced accusations of obstructing a run-out by running in the line of the stumps, which could have led to an ‘obstructing the field’ dismissal.
