New Delhi, Oct 31 : Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was banned for one Test match after he was found guilty of elbowing Australia all-rounder Shane Watson during the ongoing third Test in Delhi.

International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Chris Broad today charged Gambhir with a level-two offence of not conducting play "within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws of cricket".

Meanwhile, the BCCI is going to appeal to ICC to relax the punishment on Gambhir.

Watson was charged with a level-one offence under the same section of the players'' code of conduct for not playing within the spirit of the game.

Gambhir was banned for one Test match for being found guilty under Level 2.4 of ICC. Watson was fined 10 per cent of the match fee by Chris Broad.

Both players were charged with violating the "spirit of the game" under the Code of Conduct.

After his tangle with Watson, Gambhir claimed the Australian had been trying to distract him but was adamant he did not raise his elbow deliberately. In the previous Test in Mohali, he chirped at Australia''s batsmen relentlessly, particularly at Clarke. (ANI)