MSD banned for one game

After slumping to an embarrassing 110-run defeat against Australia, India suffered another massive blow when skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Sunday suspended for one match for over-rate offence.

Dhoni will not be able to take the field on Tuesday when India face Sri Lanka here. This was Dhoni’s second over-rate offence in the span of one year, and the earlier instance came during the World Cup final against Lanka at the Wankhede stadium on April 2, 2011.

India were found two overs short of the target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration. Match referee Andy Pycroft also imposed a 40 percent fine on Dhoni while other team members received 20 percent fines.

Dhoni pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted both by Dhoni and India, and there was no formal hearing. Incidentally, this is the second time Dhoni is getting suspended on this tour of Australia. The Jharkhandi was earlier suspended for the fourth Test in Adelaide last month.