Gambhir to appeal against one-Test ban

Indian opener and inform batsman Gautam Gambhir will appeal against the one-Test match ban imposed on him for breaching International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct during the ongoing 3rd Test match against Australia at the Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi.

N. Srinivasan, secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said in a statement, ‘for a Level 2 offence, the players have the right to appeal against the decision within 24 hours, and accordingly Gambhir will be lodging an appeal.

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Both Gambhir and Shane Watson were found guilty of defying the sprit of the game with verbal abuse and physical contact. A day before, Watson was fined 10 percent of his match fee for indulging in a verbal duel with Gambhir during the first day of the Delhi Test. However, match referee Chris Broad had deferred the judgement on Gambhir till Friday (Oct 31).

'The decision to find Gambhir guilty of a level 2 offence is indicative of the fact that any degree of physical contact is unacceptable,' Broad said while announcing the decision.

The ban rules the Indian opener out of the final Test match of the series, to be played in Nagpur. However, Gambhir had claimed that the incident was not deliberate.

The Indian opener, who made an elegant double century in the ongoing Test match being a sticking point for Australian bowler, was found guilty of elbowing Australian bowler Shane Watson. He, however, asserted that the Australian had been trying to distract him but was adamant he did not raise his elbow deliberately.