The second session of Day 4 of the 2nd test witnessed a bizarre moment as two English fielders were seen rubbing their spikes on the ball. Many fans on the internet took note of the incident and claimed that it was an effort to tamper the surface of the ball.
TV replay showed two England players involved in the incident while the play was underway during the second session on Day 4. It remains to be seen whether any action will be taken against the duo for the same.
The pictures have gone viral on social media and many Indian fans reckon that it is a clear evidence of ball tampering. Virender Sehwag has been very active on social media since his retirement from all formats of the game.
He tweeted, “Yeh kya ho raha hai. Is it ball tampering by Eng ya covid preventive measures”? Just like many fans on social media, the former Indian opener also thinks that it was a clear indication of ball tampering. He wondered whether this unorthodox method of cleaning the ball was done to prevent the spread of COVID 19 but mostly pointed towards the fact that it could be a violation of the spirit of the game.
Meanwhile, England ended the day on a positive note. They rattled India’s top order during the first session of the day. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had to fight back hard to avoid a batting collapse, which they did.
Soon after reaching the 100-run partnership, Cheteshwar Pujara was undone by an awkward bouncer by Mark Wood, who was the pick of the bowlers yesterday. England then went on to pick up the important wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and most importantly Ajinkya Rahane, who was looking in good touch.
India will have to bat for as long as they can to avoid defeat in the 2nd Test. Rishabh Pant has showed his critics what he is capable of doing in the last 9 months, but he will have to be supported by the man on the other end.
As things stand, India lead by 154 runs with 4 wickets in hand. After drawing the first test, England will be displeased if they don’t win this match.
