Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando have both been fined 25% of their match fees and awarded one demerit point following an on-field confrontation during the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
The incident occurred on the opening morning of the Test after Asitha dismissed Jaiswal for 45 from 53 deliveries. Asitha celebrated the wicket with his teammates, and Jaiswal, who was walking towards the dressing room, turned back and moved towards the Sri Lankan bowler.
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According to the International Cricket Council, the two players exchanged words before Asitha moved his head towards Jaiswal. The Indian batter then leaned forward, resulting in contact between the two players’ heads.
Video footage appeared to show that Jaiswal initiated the physical contact by moving towards Asitha and leaning his helmeted head in the bowler’s direction. Asitha also took a small step forward but did not immediately move away.
The incident was classified as a breach of Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which covers inappropriate physical contact with another player, player support personnel, umpire, match referee or another person during an international match.
Both players accepted the sanctions proposed by the match referee, meaning no formal hearing was required. Since neither player had committed a similar offence resulting in a demerit point during the previous 24 months, each received one demerit point.
Under the ICC’s disciplinary regulations, a Level 1 offence can result in an official reprimand, a fine of up to 50% of the player’s match fee and one or two demerit points. The punishments handed to Jaiswal and Asitha therefore fall within the lower end of the permitted sanctions.
The confrontation came during an important passage of play for Sri Lanka. Jaiswal had made a positive start before Asitha ended his innings, reducing India to 66 for 2 after the visitors had elected to bat first.
Asitha went on to play a significant role with the ball, also dismissing India captain Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja later in the day. Despite those breakthroughs, India recovered strongly and finished the opening day at 300 for 5, with Dhruv Jurel scoring an unbeaten century.
The second Test is particularly important for Sri Lanka because India entered the match with a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. India had won the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs, putting Sri Lanka under pressure to respond in Colombo.
The disciplinary action now brings the incident to a close, although it added an unwanted element of controversy to an otherwise competitive opening day. Both Jaiswal and Asitha remain available for the remainder of the Test, but the demerit points will remain on their disciplinary records and could become significant if either player commits another offence in the future.
