In his comeback match for India after being sidelined with an injury for five months, Ravindra Jadeja set the stage on fire with a five-wicket haul. On Day 1 of the first Test of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, the all-rounder scalped a fifer to restrict the baggy greens to a meek total of 177. That, however, was not the only reason why Jadeja made the headlines on Thursday, 9 February.
When Australia were struggling at 120/5, with the Gujarat-born player just having picked up three wickets, Jadeja was seen scrapping something off Mohammed Siraj and applying it on his fingers. The video clipping of the incident soon made rounds on social media, snaring interest from many, including some former cricketers.
Tim Paine, who was the Australian skipper in the last iteration of this series, described the incident as “interesting” on Twitter. Former England captain Michael Vaughan also jumped in, stating “What is it he is putting on his spinning finger? Never ever seen this.”
However, amid concerns about whether Jadeja had used any illegal substance, it was confirmed by the Indian team management that the player was only using a pain-relief ointment, given that he was bowling with a sore finger.
As per reports in ESPNCricinfo, Jadeja, alongside the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, was shown the clip of the incident by match referee Andy Pycroft after the completion of the day’s play. The duo confirmed the nature of substance, and no subsequent charges have since been laid. Moreover, despite the noise on social media, no formal complaint has been launched by the visitors on this matter.
Jadeja’s Fifer Keeps India on the Driver’s Seat
As for the match, Jadeja starred with India with exemplary figures of 22-8-47-5. He opened his tally with the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne, who was looking in great nick, before sending four more Australian batters back to the dressing room, in Steven Smith, Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Todd Murphy.
It was Jadeja’s tenth five-wicket haul in the longest format of the game, and the 34-year-old, who completed fourteen years in international cricket this week, is now only eight wickets away from reaching the milestone of 250 Test wickets.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)