On Thursday, Australian media accused Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja of ball tampering during the ongoing first Test in Nagpur.
The incident’s video footage went viral after Jadeja was seen rubbing a substance on his finger, leading viewers to believe he was involved in ball tampering.
In the video, Jadeja is seen with his right hand removing a substance from the back of teammate Mohammed Siraj’s palm. He then rubbed the substance on his left index finger just before starting his delivery stride.
Despite holding the ball, Jadeja did not appear to be rubbing anything on it.
The match referee Andy Pycroft also sought an explanation from the Indian team management regarding the incident. However, no charge was laid against the spinner.
The allegations were levelled when Australia had reached 120-5 in their first innings, with Jadeja having already bagged the wickets of Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw and Steven Smith.
However, Indian team management told AFP that Jadeja applied a pain-relief cream to his index finger and nothing untoward had taken place.
It must be noted that skipper Rohit Sharma was unbeaten on an assured 85 as India turned the screw on Australia despite debutant spinner Todd Murphy claiming his third wicket of the opening Test on Friday.
India took lunch on day two at 151-3, closing on Australia’s first-innings 177, on a Nagpur pitch which is expected to turn more as the match progresses.
Rohit was batting alongside Virat Kohli, on 12, at the break after losing overnight partner Ravichandran Ashwin for 23 and then Cheteshwar Pujara for seven.
Murphy, an off-spinner who took KL Rahul for his first Test wicket on Thursday, trapped Ashwin lbw — a decision that Australia successfully reviewed — and had Pujara caught at short fine leg.
Rohit began cautiously on his overnight 56 before hitting fast bowler captain Pat Cummins for six over deep square leg and spinner Nathan Lyon for another over the fence.
He mixed caution with aggression, and despite losing Ashwin and Pujara, he stood firm to finish the first session with India trailing by 26 runs.
Jadeja was the first-day hero with his 5-47 against the tourists, who elected to bat first at the start of the four-match series, but was all out shortly after tea.
