Why Team India got 5 penalty runs added in 3rd ODI vs Afghanistan - Explained

During the series concluding 3rd ODI between India and Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the Indian team started their run chase with a rare advantage. Before a single ball was even bowled in the 2nd innings, India's scoreboard was already at 5/0 which triggered obvious confusion among fans.

This unusual situation happened due to an official penalty issued to Afghanistan by the umpires. The penalty was a result of a violation by the Afghan team in 1st innings.

The real reason for the 5-run penalty was that Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, who scored his maiden one-day century, repeatedly ran on the danger area of the pitch while batting.

Under MCC Law 41.14, batters are not allowed to run down the protected area, which is the central part of the pitch in order to avoid causing damage to the playing surface. During the 40th over of Afghanistan's innings, Shahidi breached this restricted area for the 2nd time in the match.

Since the team had already received their first and final warning from on-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Rohan Pandit, the 2nd time caused an immediate penalty. The single run Shahidi took on that specific delivery was disallowed and 5 penalty runs were officially awarded to India. That's why, the Men in Blue started their chase at 5 for none.

Hashmatullah Shahidi scores maiden ODI century

Opting to bat first, Afghanistan were in all sorts of trouble at 36 for four after Prasidh discovered the perfect length at the Chepauk pitch with a four-wicket burst during his opening spell. But Shahidi, who took 131 balls for his maiden ODI hundred, marshalled the remaining resources well to save Afghanistan some blushes.

The left-hander first milked 105 runs off 117 balls for the fifth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai (50, 56b) and then a 57 runs off 53 balls for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi. Shahidi played the anchor role to perfection, and often used late cuts and little dabs to the gaps to collect runs and raised his fifty in 64 balls.

Shahidi, who battled cramps after reaching 80, continued unfazed and scored his first one-day international century off 128 balls fittingly with a late cut four off Washington. But once Nabi was departed wickets began to fall quickly around Shahidi, who had to conjure his last ounce of energy to bat through the pain barrier to take Afghanistan past the 200-run mark.

India Vs Afghanistan, 3rd ODI: Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fareed Ahmad Malik.

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav.