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Rawal pulled up for 'avoidable physical contact' in first ODI

Rawal made contact with Filer and Ecclestone in two separate incidents during India's successful chase against England

ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Jul-2025 • Updated 4 hrs ago
Pratika Rawal was steady, England vs India, 1st women's ODI, Southampton, July 16, 2025

Pratika Rawal was fined and handed one demerit point  •  Getty Images

India opening batter Pratika Rawal has been fined 10% of her match fee and handed one demerit point for "avoidable physical contact" during the first ODI against England on Tuesday, which India won by four wickets.
Two separate incidents took place during India's chase, which came in for scrutiny by the match officials.
The first was when Rawal played a ball off Lauren Filer in the 18th over and went across for a single. While approaching the non-striker's end, she made contact with the bowler. Then, in the next over, after being bowled by Sophie Ecclestone for a 51-ball 36, Rawal made contact with Ecclestone on her way back to the dressing room.
Rawal pleaded guilty to the Level 1 breach of the ICC's code of conduct, which relates to "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players in the course of play".
"It [the collision with Filer] was not intentional; I was just running in my way," Rawal said ahead of the second ODI at Lord's*. "And the shoulder barge thing was also not deliberate. I don't think there is [need to have] any reaction to it or [make] any fuss about it."
While she was in the middle, Rawal stitched together partnerships of 48 with Smriti Mandhana for the first wicket and 46 with Harleen Deol for the second wicket, setting up the chase of 259, which India completed comfortably thanks to a 90-run stand between Jemimah Rodrigues (48) and Deepti Sharma (62*) for the fifth wicket.
England, meanwhile, were fined 5% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate. They were found to be one over short of the target in the time allotted for completing their overs, though they didn't have to bowl all 50, India getting over the line with ten balls in hand.
England and India will meet each other for the second ODI on Saturday, at Lord's, before the last game of the tour, the third ODI in Chester-le-Street on Tuesday. India had earlier won the T20I series 3-2.
* 1300 GMT Updated with Rawal's qoute

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