Cricket
India's substitute players field across boundary to save time
Often when the ball crossed the ropes in the Pakistan innings, a member of the Indian team was seen hurrying to collect the ball.
Hardik Pandya had figures of 3/30 vs Pakistan. (BCCI)
Every time Pakistan hit a boundary in their match against India in the T20 World Cup at the MCG on Sunday, an Indian team member was seen hurrying to collect the ball and throw it back into the field.
India had come up with a strategy to avoid the fielder penalty rule, a new ICC ruling that a team will have one less fielder outside the inner circle if their overs take up more than 90 minutes.
India's substitute players and some support staff members were stationed along the boundaries to save time, in a new move to adapt to the rules. Harshal Patel, Deepak Hooda, the team's masseur and throwdown specialists were seen most in action along the boundary.
When Axar Patel was being attacked in the middle overs, most of the off-field members were seen standing along the ropes. When the boundary rate came down a bit, they sat in a huddle at the corner of the field, promptly getting up to collect the ball when it looked to be heading for the ropes.
The move worked. At the end of the 17th over of the innings, India were one over ahead of the required over rate.
Pakistan finished with 159/8 in 20 overs as Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/22), Arshdeep Singh (3/32) and Hardik Pandya (3/30) tied them down.
The fielder penalty is a new in-match penalty for slow over rates in T20Is. The new rule stipulates that a fielding side must be in position to bowl the first ball of the final over of the innings by the scheduled or rescheduled time for the end of the innings. If they are not in such a position, one fewer fielder will be permitted outside of the 30-yard circle for the remaining overs of the innings.
