I am very hurt by Ravindra Jadeja verdict

MS Dhoni

India captain MS Dhoni has revealed that he is “very hurt” with the fine imposed on Ravindra Jadeja this Friday, for being guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct in an altercation with England fast bowler James Anderson during the first of the ongoing 5-match Test series, by David Boon, the International Cricket Council match referee.

Dhoni in the presser

Speaking to the press ahead of the third Test that starts on Sunday, Dhoni said: “To me, it’s a very hurtful decision. Frankly, I feel a lot of things were neglected in judging the case. If you see what exactly happened … the umpire called ‘lunch’, and we started walking. I don’t want to take any individual’s name, but one used foul language against Jadeja. I had to step in the middle. By that time, we had reached the ropes, and I thought the thing has defused.

“Then, when we were going through the members’ area, I was ahead of Jadeja, who was a couple of yards behind me. Again, something happened. Something was told to him, and he turned across to the individual. After that, he was pushed and he barely gained his balance. Then, he turned to see what was happening. On the basis of that, he is fined.

“We were told it was against the spirit of the game. But we can’t ignore whatever has happened. If somebody is saying something to you from behind, and you just turn and look, that’s not aggressive.

“The bat was under his armpit throughout, and right from the call for lunch till the time he entered the dressing room, not one word was spoken by him. I feel there were a lot of things that were neglected. It’s for you guys to decide based on whatever I’m saying – if I’ve not lied about the facts – if what Jadeja did was aggressive. I don’t think there was even a bit of aggression in that and that’s the reason I’m very hurt by the verdict given.”

Boon’s verdict

On the reasoning behind his decision to clear Jadeja of the original charge but penalise him for a Level 1 offence instead, Boon said: “Under Article 6.1 of the Code, I had to be comfortably satisfied that the offence had occurred in order to find Mr Jadeja guilty of an offence under Article 2.2.11.

“While I was in no doubt that confrontation did occur, and that such conduct was not in the spirit of the game and should not have taken place, I was not comfortably satisfied that this was a level 2 offence. Therefore, in exercising my discretion under Article 7.6.5 of the Code and having heard all the evidence, I was comfortably satisfied that Mr Jadeja had committed a level 1 offence under Article 2.1.8 of the Code.”

Anderson waits for his turn

Anderson, on the other hand, is charged with Level 3 offence for allegedly "abusing and pushing" the spinning all-rounder, and his hearing is set to take place on August 1. The 31-year-old is most likely to face a ban of a minimum of 2 Tests.

Following a historic victory at Lord’s in the second Test, India lead the series 1-0; the home team are in a state of disarray having lost 7 of their last 9 Tests, which includes an Ashes whitewash Down Under, with captain Alastair Cook failing to deliver both with the bat and as a captain.