The Indian team management issued a clarification to ICC match referee Andy Pycroft over a video of Ravindra Jadeja that went viral on social media on the first day of the first India-Australia Test in Nagpur. The hosts explained that the all-rounder applied grease to the index finger of his bowling hand.
Jadeja made a five-wicket haul on his international return on the first day of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 on Thursday, February 9. However, Australian media raised eyebrows after Jadeja was seen taking a substance from the back of pacer Mohammed Siraj with the palm of his right hand . The all-rounder appeared to be rubbing the substance on the index finger of his left hand.
The incident in question happened after Australia lost half of their side with only 120 men on the board. Jadeja took three of those scalps, including the big ones of Marnus Labuschagne (49) and Steve Smith (37).
According to a report by ESPNcricnfo, after the conclusion of the first match in Nagpur, Jadeja, India captain Rohit Sharma and the team manager were shown a video clip which went viral. According to the report, Pycroft wanted to inform the Indian team about the incident and Jadeja was not charged in the controversy.
The Australian team is also believed not to have asked the match referee a question.
“It’s not a change of ranks” – opener Ravindra Jadeja after Day 1 heroics
Playing in his first international since the Asia Cup in the UAE last year, Jadeja made a successful return to the team, taking 5/47 in 22 overs. Australia were bowled out for a disappointing 177 in 63.5 overs after winning the toss and bat.
Despite the big success on the opening day of the Test in Nagpur, Jadeja refused to call the surface a major turning point, saying:
“It’s not a change of ranks. For a first day throw it was slow and didn’t have a lot of bounce compared to other wickets. The defense was not that tough for the batsmen today, but that will happen as the game progresses. This happens in most test matches. It definitely doesn’t change ranks.”
The 34-year-old added that he used the depth of the crease to try and unsettle Australia’s set duo of Labuschagne and Smith. The left-arm spinner elaborated:
“I used the crease because not all deliveries were spinning. To create doubt in the batsman’s mind, I went wider from the crease and sometimes bowled from closer to the crease. I mixed it.”
India ended Day 1 at 77/1, with captain Rohit unbeaten on 56 and Ravichandran Ashwin on 0.