COLOMBO, August 13: India created a dubious Test record when the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee, John Reid, Slapped an unprecedented fine of 195% on the Indian team for their slow over-rate in the second Test against Sri Lanka.

In a scathing attack on the Indian attitude, the match referee said: ``I am very disappointed that the Indian team has created a record in over-rate fines for number of overs, but am equally concerned that very little effort was made up despite being advised daily of their position.''

The Indians breached the ICC code of conduct (clause 5c1) pertaining to the over-rate. The Test record of 195% fine of the match per player is for the 22 overs short that the Indian team bowled during the second Test. The rule states that an over-rate of 15 per hours has to be maintained.

The Indian players receive a match fee of Rs 15,000 per Test, with the rest of the money being the logo fee from the sponsors. The Indian team thus will have to play Rs 2,97,000 by way of fines the money going into ICC coffers.

Indian cricket team manager, Prof Ratnakar Shetty, said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India will pay the fine on behalf of the 11 players to ICC and the same amount will be deducted while paying them their dues.

Asked to comment on the censure passed by the match referee, skipper Sachin Tendulkar said: ``It's bad. We have to accelerate our over-rate.''

Earlier in the tour, Reid fined Navjot Sidhu 10% of his match fee for violating the norms governing the display of logo during the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. Saurav Ganguly, too, was pulled up for lingering on the wicket after given out, but was let off with a caution.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.