“Australia clearly played with the ball”- Australia accused of ‘tampering with ball’ to dismiss Virat Kohli in WTC Final

Australia have been guilty of tampering with the ball in the past.

“Australia clearly played with the ball”- Australia accused of ‘tampering with ball’ to dismiss Virat Kohli in WTC Final

Did Australia tamper with ball to dismiss Virat Kohli? (Image via Twitter)

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali accused Australia of ‘tampering with the ball’ during India’s first inning in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. Ali has claimed that Australia played with the ball which resulted in the wicket of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara in quick succession. The former cricketer also produced evidence to support his claim. 

While analyzing Day 2’s play, Ali said that there was clear evidence of “ball tampering” from Australia in the 15th over of India’s innings. The former Pakistan cricketer was also left shocked that no one from the commentators to the umpires noticed this act from Australi.

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“I would clap for those watching the match from the commentary box, and the umpires! Australia clearly played with the ball and no one is talking about it. No batter is wondering ‘What is happening?’ The biggest example is batters getting bowled while leaving the ball,” said Ali on his YouTube channel. 

“Look at the 16th, 17th and 18th overs. Specifically, the ball on which Virat Kohli got out… look at the shine. Mitchell Starc had the ball in his hand with the shiny end pointing outside but the ball was moving the other way.…Does the ball ever reverse swing in 15-20 overs, that too the Dukes ball? I understand that a Kookaburra ball can still reverse, but a Dukes ball lasts till 40 overs at least,” Ali added.

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Also Read: “Ball tampering”- Fans react to Virat Kohli’s weird on-field antics with Shubman during WTC Final against Australia

Did Australia really tamper with the ball?

pujara dismissal wtc final
Cheteshwar Pujara gets cleaned bowled while leaving the ball (Image via Twitter)

Australia have been guilty of tampering with the ball in the past. The Kangaroos were caught red-handed while altering the condition of the ball during a Test match against South Africa in 2018. However, this time around, it seems like a void claim from Ali who just needs the attention of the Indian fans. While Australia did get the ball changed but it was only after Richard Kettleborough approved it. 

Also, the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli were the results of poor judgement of the line and length from the two batters. While Pujara could not comprehend the inswing on the ball, Kohli played a short-of-length ball on the front foot and was undone by the uneven bounce.

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