India vs Australia: WATCH – Rohit Sharma pulls off a Steve Smith, shadow bats on the crease as latter looks on

India vs Australia: WATCH – Rohit Sharma pulls off a Steve Smith, shadow bats on the crease as latter looks on

Rohit Sharma shadow batting

Rohit Sharma shadow batting
Rohit Sharma shadow batting

As Australia looked to score briskly on the fourth day of the rain ridden Gabba Test, a hilarious incident had the cricket fraternity in splits. India vice-captain Rohit Sharma was seen shadow batting at the crease during the drinks break. What made the incident hilarious was the fact that batsman Steve Smith who was landed in trouble for a similar incident watched on.

https://twitter.com/StanMSD/status/1351003937688727560?s=08

Smith was seen scuffing the pitch after shadow batting in Sydney. And the incident garnered widespread criticism for the Aussie run machine as fans hailed it as an attempt to cheat. On-air commentators during the game were quick to point out that shadow batting on the crease is not something opposition batsmen do with malicious intent.

“It‘s very important for all those who thought Steve Smith was tampering the pitch and he had some kind of malicious intent, Rohit Sharma has done the exact same thing as Steve Smith did,” Indian broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar said on during commentary. “In fact, there’s a step with the right foot.”

Captain and coach defended Smith

Tim Paine and Steve Smith
Tim Paine and Steve Smith

Following widespread criticism, Australia coach Justin Langer and Tim Paine jumped in to defend their batting mainstay. Langer asserted that it was normal for Smith who is obsessed with batting. The Aussie coach brushed the off the criticism aimed at the New South Welshman as an “absolute load of rubbish.”

“If anyone who knows Steve Smith, he’s a bit quirky and he does some weird (stuff). We’ve all laughed about it… it’s what Steve Smith does at the crease. He does it most games, he’s thinking about batting,” Langer had said to the reporters ahead of the Gabba Test.

“Anyone who suggests for one millisecond he was doing anything untoward. They are way out of line. Absolutely out of line. That wicket was that flat and it was like concrete. You need 15 inch spikes to make an indent on the crease,” he added.

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