India's pace spearhead Ishant Sharma has been handed a one-match suspension after being found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the penultimate day's play in the third Test against India at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo.
Sharma was handed two Suspension Points** for giving a send-off to opener Upul Tharanga. He was charged under Article 2.1.7, which relates to "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an International Match".
This was the third time that Sharma been found guilty of giving the dismissed batsman a send-off during this series. Therefore, he has been suspended for his next match and will miss India's first Test against South Africa in Mohali from 5 November.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Chandimal has been handed one Suspension Point* for breaching Article 2.2.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a Player".
This means Chandimal will miss Sri Lanka's next One-Day International, which will be against the West Indies on 1 November at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The incident happened in the 76th over when Chandimal made deliberate physical contact with Sharma when India's number-11 batsman was in the middle of a heated exchange with fast bowler Dhammika Prasad.
In addition, both Lahiru Thirimanne and Prasad have been fined 50 per cent of their match fees.
