Jasprit Bumrah faces ICC investigation over ball-tampering allegations: Watch video
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Veteran cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has come to the defense of Jasprit Bumrah after the Indian pacer was accused of ball-tampering during the recently-concluded Sydney Test against Australia. The controversy erupted after a viral video showed Bumrah re-wearing his shoes during the match, and a suspicious object fell out of his spikes, leading to accusations that he was altering the condition of the ball.
Breaking: India are being investigated by the ICC for ball tampering. This comes after an undisclosed item fell out of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s shoe. @7Cricket @7NewsMelbourne
— Tom Browne (fan) (@tombrowne7) January 4, 2025
pic.twitter.com/lvA4S4RLrE
Bumrah, who had been forced to stop bowling on Day 2 due to back spasms, did not feature in the second innings. As a result, Australia chased down 162 to win the match by six wickets, clinching the series 3-1. Despite not bowling, Bumrah finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 32 wickets to his name.
Rival fans quickly raised the call for the ICC to investigate the incident. In response, Ashwin laughed off the accusations, clarifying that the "suspicious" object seen in the video was simply a "finger protection pad."
Bumrah, who had stepped in as the captain for the final Test, ended the tour with a remarkable 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 and was named Player of the Series. Despite his personal success, the series loss left many questioning the performance and future of several veteran players.
Bumrah's back injury forced him to sit out the final match, while the batting performance of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli came under scrutiny. Rohit, with a disappointing average of just 10.9 runs over his last eight Tests, was dropped for the final match, while Kohli's only notable score came in Perth, where he hit an unbeaten century.
