'What is the penalty? Is it written?': Furious Gavaskar lashes out at umpires for warning Ashwin for his follow through

The on-field umpires weren't impressed with his followthrough action when bowling across the stumps and was warned as many as four times and the incident left former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar furious.

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was relentless with his efforts to get India the much-needed breakthrough on day 3 of the Kanpur Test. He used variations, went wide against Tom Latham, and event tried bowling across the stumps before he eventually dismissed opener Will Young on 89. However, the on-field umpires weren't impressed with his followthrough action when bowling across the stumps and was warned as many as four times and the incident left former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar furious.

Sunil Gavaskar; Umpires have a word with R Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane 

It first happened in the 77th over when Ashwin went around the wicket against Kane Williamson. Umpire had a word with the offie as he was finishing his action in front of him, leaving him blinded in case of an LBW scenario. In the same over, two deliveries later, captain Ajinkya Rahane was summoned by the umpires although the bowler was nowhere near the danger area.

At the start of the 80th over, there was a heated discussion between the umpires and Rahane and Ashwin with the formers unhappy with the bowler obstructing the non-strikers in their running with his followthrough.

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Miffed at the umpires Gavaskar lashed out at the umpires on air saying that there shouldn't be any penalty for this action.

"Rahane was coming in to say that if Ashwin is veering away and not going into the danger area, what is the issue. I think it is tough on the umpire because he might not be able to see what happens. What is the penalty? Is it written? It isn’t something that I know of. There is a penalty if the ball hits the helmet but what is the penalty if Ashwin keeps doing that? Do you think Ashwin will keep pushing that envelope?” he questioned. 

Fellow commentator and former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull suggested that the bowler can dictate which side the non-striker can stand.  

“You get two penalties before you are not allowed to bowl, I believe. We will find out if he [Ashwin] keeps doing it. Once more [on if Ashwin will do it again], I reckon. If the non-striker wanted to run, Ashwin gets right in front of where the non-striker would probably be running. And, that is not allowed. The bowler can also not dictate where the non-striker stands,” he explained. 

Ashwin eventually finished with a three-fer as India restricted New Zealand with a first-innings deficit of 49 before extending the lead to 63 runs.