Team India fined 80 percent of their match fee for slow over-rate in 1st ODI against Bangladesh 

Team India have been penalized for maintaining a slow over-rate during the first ODI against Bangladesh on Sunday, December 4. The Men in Blue were found to be four overs short of the target after the time allowances were reviewed by the match officials.

Skipper Rohit Sharma has accepted the charges sanctioned by Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.

Since the charges were not contested by the captain, there is no need for an official hearing and the matter can be considered closed.

On-field umpires Michael Gough and Tanvir Ahmed, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel leveled the charge.

Rohit and co. lost the series opener at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium by one wicket following Mehidy Hasan Miraz's late heroics with the bat. Bangladesh took 46 overs in the second innings to chase the 187-run target set by the visitors.

The bulk of the bowling in the second half of the contest was carried out by the Indian pacers, who bowled 32 overs.

Slow over rate has been a common issue for the Men in Blue over the course of the year. They have been hit with fines for the same during their tours of South Africa, the West Indies, and in the 2022 Asia Cup.

Additionally, the side has also faced a fine and a demerit point for maintaining a slow over rate in the rescheduled fifth Test against England, which could prove to be costly in the long run.

"If you look back to how we bowled from ball one, it was good" - Team India skipper Rohit Sharma after narrow loss to Bangladesh in 1st ODI

Team India were largely ruled out of the contest after failing to bat out their 50 overs and getting bundled out for a paltry 186.

After being put in to bat first by stand-in skipper Litton Das, the batters barring KL Rahul struggled, leading to a below-par total in Dhaka.

The relatively inexperienced bowling attack kept India in the game and even in the driver's seat at one stage. Bangladesh were reeling at 136-9 during the dying ambers of the contest, but a record partnership for the final wicket helped them attain a 1-0 lead in the series.

Rohit praised the display by the bowling unit but lamented the lack of an elusive wicket in the end. The skipper said during the post-match presentation ceremony:

"It was a very close game. We did pretty well to come back into that position. We didn't bat well. 184 wasn't good enough. We bowled pretty well and kept them under pressure but they held their nerves to get the required runs at the backend."

He continued:

"If you look back to how we bowled from ball one, it was good. Of course, we would have liked to get some wickets at the end but we did that in the first 40 overs. You've got to take wickets to win games like these and we did that decently for most parts."

The Men in Blue will lock horns against their subcontinent rivals in the second ODI of the series on Wednesday, December 7, at the same venue.

Will Team India turn things around in the next ODI? Let us know what you think.