India vs Australia 1st Test Archives

Ravindra Jadeja’s alleged ‘ball tampering’ video sparks controversy

Controversy marred Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja’s sensational comeback after he was spotted rubbing a mysterious substance on the ball on Thursday in the first Test against Australia.

Jaega, who picked up a five-wicket haul on the opening day of the Nagpur Test, was accused of ball tampering after his ‘mysterious’ rubbing video went viral.

The video captured Jadeja taking something off the hand of his teammate Mohammad Siraj with his right hand. He then rubbed his hands and finger near and around the ball though it was uncertain what exactly was happening.

This is absolutely shocking!

Jadeja is quite clearly applying a magic potion to his finger here, which has tricked the Australian's into forgetting they can use their bats.

12 month ban. Now. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/dukRDR1sni

— The Cricket Podcast (@TheCricketPod) February 9, 2023

The incident took place in the 46th over of the innings when Australia were batting at 120/5 with Alex Carry and Peter Handscomb at the crease.

A debate has been triggered about alleged tampering by Jadeja since the video went viral on social media.

“Interesting.” replied former Australian captain Tim Paine when the video was shared with him on Twitter.

Interesting

— Tim Paine (@tdpaine36) February 9, 2023

Similarly former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: “What is it he is putting on his spinning finger? Never ever seen this”

What is it he is putting on his spinning finger ? Never ever seen this … #INDvsAUS https://t.co/NBPCjFmq3w

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 9, 2023

Meanwhile, the Indian team denied the accusations and insisted that it was pain-relief cream that Jadeja was applying to the index finger of his bowling hand.

According to ESPNCricinfo, Jadeja along with India captain Rohit Sharma and the team manager were shown the video clip by the match referee Andy Pycroft after the day ended. However, no charge had been laid against Jadeja.

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Jadeja bags 5-47 as India dominate Australia in Test opener

NAGPUR: Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja grabbed a five-wicket haul on his international return as India ruled the opening day of the first Test against Australia on Thursday.

Jadeja returned figures of 5-47 and fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets to bowl out Australia for 177 in the final session on a turning Nagpur pitch.

In reply, India were 77 for one at stumps, with skipper Rohit Sharma on 56 and Ashwin, yet to score, at the crease. The hosts still trail Australia by 100 runs.

Rohit began by hitting three boundaries off Australian skipper Pat Cummins’ first over, and put on 76 runs with opening partner KL Rahul, who made a laboured 20.

The Indian captain reached his fifty with a four off Nathan Lyon and remained sharp to see off the day’s play.

Rahul fell caught and bowled off debutant spinner Todd Murphy, who celebrated his first Test wicket.

Jadeja, a left-arm orthodox bowler who came back into the Indian side after a knee injury, stood out with his guile, taking key wickets including those of Marnus Labuschagne (49) and Steve Smith (37).

Both Australians had launched a fightback with their third-wicket 82-run stand after losing openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner early in the day.

Peter Handscomb (31) and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey (36) also put on a partnership of 53 before Ashwin ended Carey’s spell at the crease to record his 450th Test wicket.

Jadeja’s double strike on successive balls soon after lunch rocked the tourists as he sent back Labuschagne and then trapped Matt Renshaw for a first-ball duck.

He later bowled Smith with a delivery that went through his bat and pad.

Ashwin and Jadeja kept up the charge to get into the Australian tail when the tourists took tea at 174-8, and added just three runs in the final session.

Earlier, seamer Mohammed Siraj struck on his first ball to get Khawaja trapped lbw for one with a delivery that swung in to the left-hander, after the tourists elected to bat at the start of the four-match series.

An appeal was turned down by the on-field umpire but India successfully reviewed the decision.

Mohammed Shami raised the noise in the next over when the seamer bowled the left-handed Warner for one.

Australia controversially left out in-form left-hand batsman Travis Head, while India handed Test caps to Twenty20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav and wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.

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Rohit, Cummins play down pitch chatter ahead of 1st Test

NAGPUR: India skipper Rohit Sharma and Australian counterpart Pat Cummins on Wednesday brushed aside concerns about the pitch ahead of the first of four eagerly awaited Tests.

Australian commentators have said that a bone-dry pitch has been prepared in Nagpur to make life difficult for the visitors’ many left-handed batsmen in the match starting Thursday.

Cricket writer Robert Craddock told broadcaster SEN that if parts of the pitch had been prepared specifically to target Australia’s left-handed batsmen, it would amount to “straight-up pitch doctoring”.

Former Australia all-rounder Simon O’Donnell said the International Cricket Council “should step in and do something about it, if they think it’s not right”.

But Cummins told reporters that Australia’s batters would take the pitch in their stride.

“Potentially, it looks a little bit dry for the left-handers and knowing how much traffic will probably go through there from the right-arm bowlers,” said Cummins.

“It might be a fair bit of rough out there. Again that’s something we just got to embrace. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be challenging at times, but we have batters who relish the chance to problem solve on their feet.”

Australia’s set of key left-handers includes David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, Matt Renshaw and Travis Head.

Their right-handers include Steve Smith — who scored three centuries including a brilliant 178 during Australia’s 2017 tour of India — and Marnus Labuschagne, currently number one in the ICC Test rankings.

Cummins said that getting a good first-innings lead in India was more important than anywhere else in the world.

“You just got to find a way to put a big total on the board, especially thinking if it’s going to spin, it’s going to get really hard in the second innings,” the fast bowler said.

‘Not bothered’

Indian skipper Sharma also downplayed concerns about the pitch, saying that the “focus is on playing the game”.

“(In the) last series we played here, a lot was spoken about pitches. All 22 (players) are quality cricketers and not bothered about how much it is turning, how much it is seaming and all that.”

India are likely to field three spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin and the returning Ravindra Jadeja, but Sharma did not reveal the starting line-up.

Cummins confirmed that Australia would be without injured pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc as well as all-rounder Cameron Green.

Foreign teams have often struggled to overcome conditions in India, with England thrashed 3-1 in 2021.

Australia last won a Test series in India in 2004 and India have won the teams’ last three encounters, including twice in Australia.

A draw in any of the four Tests will be enough to secure world number one Australia a place in the ICC World Test Championship final at The Oval in June.

Second-placed India need to win at least 3-0 to assure themselves of a spot in that final for the second year running.

Indian cricket commentator Harsh Bhogle also brushed aside chatter about the pitch.

“So much talk about pitches before the game starts! For one, it is the same for both teams. And second, it has to present a challenge to the touring side. That is the essence of home and away contests,” Bhogle wrote on Twitter.

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