Umpire Shepherd cautions Karthik

Murali Karthik blotted his good books somewhat after being cautioned by umpire David Shepherd against negative bowling during the Australian second innings on the third day of the third cricket Test in Nagpur on Thursday.

Karthik produced an impressive spell of left arm spin bowling to claim two for 50 and increase his match tally to five.

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But English umpire Shepherd was not impressed when he bowled two balls from over the wicket into the rough without making them turn into the right-handed Damien Martyn sufficiently for the batsman to make an attempt to play.

Shepherd obviously considered that as negative tactics being employed by Karthik and had a chat with him after the two balls and at the end of the over in which the last ball too was pitched outside the leg stump.

As per the ICC's altered playing conditions for Tests, if the umpires feel that there is a deliberate ploy by the bowler to bowl a negative line and deny the batsmen from scoring, then he can employ the strict wide calls that are vogue in one-day internationals for balls going down the leg side.

The relevant portion of the amended clause 25 of Laws of Cricket in the ICC's Handbook dealing with wides states: For bowlers whom umpires consider to be bowling down the leg side as a negative tactic, the strict limited over wide interpretation shall be applied.