PERTH, Jan 19: Australian captain Ricky Ponting admitted the prospect of a suspension affected his tactics after he was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for a slow over-rate during the 72-run loss to India in the third Test on Saturday.

Ponting’s Australian team-mates have also been fined 10 per cent of their match fees after the home side’s decision to go with four fast bowlers for the first time in 16 years backfired.

Under the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations, captains can be suspended for slow over-rates and Australia slipped eight behind at one stage on the third day, forcing Ponting to throw the ball to part-time spinner Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke for an extended period when the game was in the balance.

“I was forced to bowl part-timers at times when otherwise I may not have, just because of the over rate,” he said. “It would have been up to the referee to decide if I was suspended but, as it states in the code of conduct, if you are six or move overs behind you face the chance of a suspension.

“Eight overs down, I had to be able to claw quite a few back to get back under six, we got a few more allowances as the day went on and with the spinners we dragged a lot of the overs back.

“It was definitely a concern, with a Test match on the line like it was, I wouldn’t have been doing it as I was if it wasn’t a legitimate concern.”—AFP