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Cricket

'Rone se behtar, spin khelte ki practice karte'- Twitter supports former cricketer Brad Hogg as he debunks 'gripping cream' theory on Ravindra Jadeja's finger

Former Australia player Brad Hogg has spoken on the controversy surrounding Ravindra Jadeja applying cream to his finger.

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Ravindra Jadeja Brad Hogg

Ravindra Jadeja Brad Hogg (Image source: Twitter)

As the first Test between India and Australia in Nagpur was underway, a video of Ravindra Jadeja applying some solution on his left index finger circulated on social media. The video led to debates on Australian media, with former Australia captain Tim Paine calling it “interesting” and sparking speculation about what the Indian spinner was doing. However, sources in the know have revealed that Jadeja was simply applying an “ointment for callus finger”.

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The use of ointments by cricketers is a common practice that is allowed under the International Cricket Council’s playing conditions. In some cases, bowlers who have returned to action after a long period may face tender issues in their index finger and to avoid the cracks, they use creams or ointments.

In the video shared on social media, Jadeja is seen taking something from Mohammed Siraj’s hand and applying it on his finger. Siraj had the ointment on his finger, and Jadeja scooped it onto his own. The footage prompted Twitter user @dags_L to ask Tim Paine his thoughts, to which Paine responded with one word, “interesting”.

Former Australia player Brad Hogg has now weighed in on the situation, stating that there was a cream on Siraj's hand and Jadeja applied it to his finger. Hogg emphasized that there was no need for further discussion, as Jadeja did not put the cream on the ball.

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Jadeja, who was making his comeback to international cricket following a knee injury, had an impressive performance in the first Test. He finished with figures of 22-8-47-5 as Australia were bowled out for 177. The all-rounder mixed his stock ball and turning ball to dismiss the likes of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne on his way to picking up five wickets, inspiring a first-day-third session collapse of Australia.

The speculation surrounding the use of ointments and creams in cricket is a common occurrence, and it is allowed under the International Cricket Body's playing conditions. In this case, Jadeja was applying an ointment to address a tender issue in his index finger, and former Australia player Brad Hogg has cleared up any confusion by stating that the cream was not applied to the ball. The focus should now shift back to the performance of the players on the field.

Many Australian fans however were still not impressed by Hogg's comments. There were many Indian fans however who supported the former Australian player.

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Here's how fans reacted to Brad Hogg's comments on Ravindra Jadeja: 

 

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