Tag: Nagpur Test

NAGPUR: Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja eviscerated Australia in just over two hours to hand India a crushing innings-and-132-run victory Saturday inside three days of the opening Test.

The hosts took a commanding first-innings lead of 223 in Nagpur, then skittled out Australia for 91 in an extended second session to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

Steve Smith was left to survey the ruins on 25 after Ashwin, who took five wickets in the innings and eight in the match, triggered a complete batting collapse inside a single session.

“We know playing a series like this it’s important to start well,” captain Rohit Sharma told reporters.

“Glad all our batters could put up a show, get 400 and enough lead then the spinners came into the picture.”

Ashwin rattled the opposition batting with his off-spin as he sent back Usman Khawaja (five), David Warner (10) and Matt Renshaw (two).

Jadeja, who grabbed five in the first innings, took two wickets including Marnus Labuschagne — Australia’s first-innings top-scorer with 49 — trapped lbw for 17.

But Ashwin ruled the afternoon to run through the Australian batting, which fell flat on a pitch where India’s tail — including Axar Patel (84) and Mohammed Shami (37) — scored handsomely in the first session.

“Their spinners are always going to be hard work when the wicket is spinning,” said Aussie skipper Pat Cummins.

“That first innings, the wicket spun but wasn’t unplayable. Would have loved another 100 or so runs and put a bit more pressure on their first innings. Obviously starting here is tough.”

Shami bowled Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket to extend the session and finished the job when he trapped Scott Boland lbw.

Saving grace

Debutant spinner Todd Murphy was the tourists’ sole saving grace, adding two more wickets on Saturday morning to return figures of 7-124.

Murphy, who on Friday became the youngest Australian spinner to bag five in his first Test, bowled Jadeja for 70 early in the morning session to end an 88-run eighth-wicket partnership with Axar.

Jadeja, a left-hander making his international return from a knee injury, added just four to his overnight 66.

But Axar stood firm in his effort to bat Australia out of the game and found an able ally in number 10 Shami, who made the most of a dropped catch on six.

Shami smashed two fours and three sixes to boost the total before becoming Murphy’s seventh wicket.

Cummins took two wickets and bowled Axar at the stroke of lunch to wrap up the Indian innings. Senior spinner Nathan Lyon took one wicket.

Rohit’s powerful knock of 120 had put the hosts in the driver’s seat after they bundled out Australia for 177 on day one of the opener.

The skipper put on a key stand of 61 with Jadeja, and put India in the lead after they were in a spot at 168-5.

Jadeja set the tone for the thrashing with his figures of 5-47 that helped dismiss the visitors, who elected to bat first, soon after tea on the opening day.

The second Test begins Friday in New Delhi.

READ: Jadeja fined 25 pc of match fee for using ointment in Australia Test

DUBAI: Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and was also awarded a demerit point by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for applying a soothing cream on his index finger without informing the on-field umpires. 

The spinner, who made a sensational return in the first Test against Australia, sparked a controversy when he was spotted rubbing some substance to his finger with a ball in his hand during the opening day’s play. His mysterious actions even invited allegations of ball tampering.

International Cricket Council on Saturday penalized Jadeja for using ointment on his finger without the umpire’s permission and ruled out any possibility of ball tampering.

“Ravindra Jadeja was found to have breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game,” the ICC said on its official website.

“Jadeja admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.” 

“In reaching his decision to sanction the player along with the Level 1 sanction he imposed, the Match Referee was satisfied that the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes. The cream was not applied as an artificial substance to the ball and consequently it did not change the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions – Unfair Play – The Match Ball – Changing its Condition.” the statement added.

Jadeja took 5-47 in the first innings and went on to earn a player-of-the-match award after hitting 70 with the bat and then adding two more wickets to help India seal a commanding win in the opening Test by an inning and 132 runs.

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NAGPUR: Skipper Rohit Sharma hit a brave 120 on a turning Nagpur pitch as India extended their lead to 144 despite Australian debutant Todd Murphy’s five wickets in the opening Test.

India were 321-7 at stumps with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja proving his worth for the second straight day of his international return with an unbeaten 66.

The 22-year-old Murphy took regular wickets with his off-spin in his attempt to check India’s surge but Jadeja kept up the charge following Rohit’s dismissal soon after tea.

Jadeja was batting alongside fellow left-hander Axar Patel, who hit 52, as the pair put on an unbeaten stand of 81 for the eighth wicket.

Rohit led from the front with his ninth Test century to extend India’s dominance after they dismissed Australia for 177 on day one of the four-Test series.

The captain defied the spinners to reach his hundred with a boundary off Murphy in the second session, and took off his helmet to soak in the applause.

He put on a key 61-run sixth-wicket stand with Jadeja, who stood firm after Rohit’s departure to register a fifty after his five wickets in the Australian innings.

Jadeja, who has three Test hundreds, did his trademark sword swish with the bat to mark his 18th half-century in the five-day format.

Murphy stood out for the tourists with remarkable control to knock off the stalwarts of Indian cricket including Virat Kohli, caught behind for 12.

Murphy, who claimed KL Rahul as his first Test wicket on Thursday, trapped Ravichandran Ashwin lbw and got Cheteshwar Pujara caught at short fine leg in the first session.

Senior Australia spinner Nathan Lyon spoiled Twenty20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav’s Test debut after he bowled the batsman on eight to put India in a spot at 168-5.

But Rohit, who started the day on his overnight 56 and smashed Pat Cummins and Lyon for a six each, and Jadeja soon swung back the momentum with a mix of caution and aggression.

Cummins took the second new ball after tea to send back Rohit bowled, one ball after he was dropped by Steve Smith at second slip.

Murphy soon bagged his fifth as he trapped fellow debutant Srikar Bharat lbw — a decision that was given not out by the umpire but successfully reviewed by Australia.

Jadeja, who returned from a knee injury with a 5-47 on Thursday, soldiered on with Patel as they frustrated the opposition attack in the final hour of play.

Axar smashed eight boundaries en route to his second Test fifty.

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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. #AUSvINDpic.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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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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