TL;DR:
- India A faced ball-tampering allegations on Day 4 of their unofficial Test against Australia A, leading to a heated exchange between wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan and umpire Shawn Craig.
- Cricket Australia later cleared India A of the allegations, confirming the ball was changed due to deterioration and no further action would be taken against the Indian team.
- Kishan, who called the umpire’s decision “really stupid,” was cautioned for dissent on the field but will not be reported further for the exchange.
- Australia A cruised to a 7-wicket victory, chasing down the 224-run target despite Sai Sudharsan’s 103 and Devdutt Padikkal’s 88 for India A in the second innings.
The fourth day of the unofficial Test match between India A and Australia A at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay began with a controversial incident involving allegations of ball-tampering and a heated exchange between Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and umpire Shawn Craig.
Before the start of play on Sunday, with Australia A requiring 86 runs to win, the on-field umpires decided to change the ball used by the Indian team overnight. The decision sparked a discussion between the India A players and umpire Craig, who was heard saying on the stump microphone, “When you scratch it, we change the ball. No more discussion, let’s play.”
Despite the Indian players’ attempts to argue, Craig firmly stated, “No more discussion; let’s play. This is not a discussion.” When Kishan asked if they would continue playing with the newly handed ball, the umpire reaffirmed, “You’re playing with that ball.”
Kishan, who was making his return to the national radar after a year, expressed his dissent by calling the umpire’s decision “really stupid.” In response, Craig cautioned Kishan, saying, “You will be on report for dissent. That’s inappropriate behaviour. It is because of your (team) actions we changed the ball.”
However, Cricket Australia later issued a clarification, clearing the India A players of ball-tampering allegations. The governing body confirmed that the ball was changed “due to deterioration” and that both teams’ captains and managers were informed of the decision prior to play. Cricket Australia also stated that no further action would be taken against the Indian team.
While Kishan was cautioned for dissent on the field, Cricket Australia confirmed that he would not be reported further for the exchange with the umpire.
In the match itself, Australia A, led by captain Nathan McSweeney’s unbeaten 88 off 178 balls, cruised to the 224-run target with seven wickets to spare. India A had earlier posted 312 in their second innings, with Sai Sudharsan scoring 103 and Devdutt Padikkal contributing 88, but it was not enough to prevent a loss.
The two teams are scheduled to play the second unofficial Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting on November 7. The incident on the fourth day of the first match highlights the importance of maintaining the integrity of the game and the need for players to respect the decisions made by the officials on the field.
Source: Indianexpress
