Travis Head and Jake Fraser-McGurk light up IPL as Tim David caught in 'cheating' storm

It was a mixed night in the IPL for the Australian cricket contingent on Saturday, with Travis Head and Jake Fraser-McGurk going big with the bat, but David Warner only making one run. And Tim David was hit with a fine by IPL officials after he was spotted gesturing to a teammate from the dug-out the night before.

David and Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard were both captured on camera trying to tell teammate Suryakumar Yadav he should use a review to check a wide delivery. The IPL has expanded the use of DRS this year to enable players to dispute 'wide' calls and check if the umpire got it right.

But players in the dug-out are strictly forbidden from telling on-field teammates whether to review or not. David and Pollard could both be seen making the hand signal for a review after watching a replay of a delivery that wasn't called wide but should have. Yadav then opted to review the call and Mumbai got given the wide, which resulted in a run being added to their tally and the ball being bowled again.

Officials deemed that David and Pollard committed a Level 1 offence under the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which states a player can't “seek assistance from any person off the field of play in order to decide whether to request a referral to the TV Umpire”. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement: “David and Pollard were each fined 20 per cent of their respective match fees. Both admitted to the offence and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction."

Under clause 3.2.3 of the IPL playing conditions, “The two batters may consult with each other prior to deciding whether to request a Player Review. Under no circumstances is any player permitted to query an umpire about any aspect of a decision before deciding on whether or not to request a Player Review.

“If the on-field umpires believe that the captain or either batter has received direct or indirect input emanating other than from the players on the field, then they may at their discretion, decline the request for a Player Review. In particular, signals from the dressing room must not be given. Breach of this provision will be liable for reporting under COC.”

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Travis Head and Jake Fraser-McGurk go large in IPL

In Saturday night's game, Head and Fraser McGurk both blasted blistering half-centuries, but it was Head's Sunrisers Hyderabad who came out on top against Mumbai Indians. Five days after notching a remarkable century off just 39 balls, Head was back at it again as he made 89 off 32 on Saturday.

Head raced to 50 off just 16 balls as the Sunrisers amassed another huge total of 7-266. The Capitals lost Warner cheaply, but Fraser McGurk went about trying to pick up where his veteran countryman couldn't.

The 22-year-old went one better than Head, bringing up his 50 off 15 balls. He was eventually out for 65 off 18 balls, making his second impressive score in his first three innings in the IPL.

Facing Washington Sundar, Fraser-McGurk immediately smashed him for four, four, six, four, six and six to move to 30 off his first six balls faced. He then hit Australian captain Pat Cummins into the stands over long-on and followed it up with three maximums in four balls off Mayank Markande.

The 22-year-old now has 140 runs in just three innings at a phenomenal strike rate of 222.22. But once Fraser-McGurk departed the Capitals lost their momentum and fell 67 runs short of victory.

Head is now second only to Virat Kohli in the run-scoring charts this IPL season, having made 324 in six innings at a strike rate of 216. "We're on a bit of a roll here, it's very enjoyable," Head said. "It's all coming together over a couple of years of hard work … I haven't played a lot of T20 cricket the past few years but I've just got back in the swing of things. It's nice to be at the top of the order."

with AAP