The Indian cricketer Ishant Sharma has been banned for one Test following an altercation with three Sri Lanka players during his side's series-sealing victory in Colombo.
Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The seamer was punished for giving a send-off to opener Upul Tharanga - his third offence in the three-match Test series which India won 2-1.
Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal has also been banned after barging Ishant.
His team-mates Lahiru Thirimanne and Dhammika Prasad received fines.
They lost 50 percent of their match fees for their conduct during the clash with Ishant.
Prasad had bowled three consecutive bouncers to India tailender Ishant, who responded by smacking his helmet repeatedly.
As Ishant hurried off the field when the India innings ended, Prasad sprinted behind him and television pictures showed the two players speaking to each other outside the dressing rooms.
When he bowled, Ishant gave a big send-off to Tharanga and celebrated dismissing Chandimal by again striking his head.
Ishant will miss India's first Test against South Africa in Mohali from 5 November, with Chandimal suspended for the one-day international between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Colombo on 1 November.
India captain Virat Kohli said the incidents had benefitted his team because it fired up Ishant in Sri Lanka's second innings.
"An angry fast bowler is a captain's delight," Kohli said after his team's series-clinching 117-run victory at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
"It happened at the right time because we had to bowl after that. I was very happy that he had an aggressive mindset."
On the field the batting heroics of Sri Lanka's captain Angelo Mathews went in vain as India beat the home team by 117 runs in the final test in Colombo to win the three-match series 2-1.
Needing 386 to win the match and the series, Mathews with 110 and 70 from newcomer Kusal Perera kept their hopes alive until the wheels came off towards the end of the second session on the final day, and they eventually folded for 268.
It's India's first series win in Sri Lanka since 1993.
