24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

MELBOURNE, Jan 23: India captain Saurav Ganguly has been fined 80 per cent of his match fee for time wasting during his side's defeat by Australia in Sydney on Thursday.

The rest of the Indian players were fined 15 per cent of their fees after they fell three overs behind the required bowling rate in the triangular series match.

Ganguly received a heavier fine as captain and was also found guilty by match referee Clive Lloyd of "conduct contrary to the spirit of the game, on the basis of time wasting".

India had scored 296 for four before Australia were set a revised victory target of 225 in 34 overs following a rain interruption. The match would have been declared void if Australia had faced less than 25 overs but, despite Ganguly's go-slow, the rain held off.

The home side won with one ball to spare, tailender Brett Lee hitting a six in the last over, bowled by seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji, to take his side to the brink of victory.-Reuters