SPORTS

India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has said that India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant wasn’t even aware about the alleged incident of Steve Smith wiping off his batting guard on the final day of the drawn third Test against Australia in Sydney.

Rathour said that the Indian team didn’t know about the purported incident and came to to know about it only after it became viral on social media.

“We didn’t even know about the incident. It was only after the game and after the media picked it up that we noticed it. As a batsman, Rishabh wasn’t even aware of it. I wouldn’t like to comment on it because it hardly mattered. He was not even aware of it,” said Rathour ahead of the fourth and final Test against Australia beginning Friday at The Gabba.

A short video emerged of a stump vision camera where Smith – Australia’s premier batsman – was seen shadow batting and rubbing the pitch with his shoe spikes, which many purported as him removing Pant’s batting mark.

The final day of a dramatic third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground was pulsating. Rishabh Pant was playing a blazing innings and putting India on course for an improbable win. Cheteshwar Pujara was stonewalling the Australian bowlers brilliantly. At the other end, Australia were getting desperate. In a moment that created huge controversy, Steve Smith was caught on camera trying to scruff up the batting marks that were created by 

Rishabh Pant at the crease. The move saw social media label Steve Smith as a cheat and there were many other analysts, notably from England, who said that Steve Smith had once again cheated. However, the accusations that were levelled at Steve Smith was not true and on Wednesday, he sought to clarify the matter. "I have been quite shocked and disappointed by the reaction to this. It's something I do in games to visualise where we are bowling, how the batter is playing our bowlers and then out of habit I always mark centre," Steve Smith said in an interaction with the Daily Telegraph. Steve Smith had earlier found support from Australia skipper Tim Paine who said that this was one of the unusual quirks that Steve Smith has. Smith loves batting and occasionally, he does these kinds of action which are different from the rest. Steve Smith roared back to form in the Sydney Test with a brilliant 131 and 81 and he was named the player of the match.

The Indian team will not take any chances with fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who is “50% fit” ahead of the fourth Test against Australia at the Gabba. However, in the case of R Ashwin – who has been struggling with back spasms – a final call will be taken by Wednesday afternoon.

If Ashwin stays for the Test, apropos of Bumrah, the Indian team will walk into the game with six batsmen and five bowlers, including two spin bowling-allrounders.

Tamil Nadu cricketer Washington Sundar, who was asked to stay back in Australia after the white ball series, now stands a huge chance to wear the Test whites for the fourth Test, alongside Ashwin, if the latter is declared fit to play.

It hasn't been long since India were bundled out for 36 — their lowest score in Test history (joint fifth-lowest ever).

It hasn't been long since a shocked Virat Kohli found it difficult to put his "feelings into words" after watching them get thrashed to pieces. It hasn't been long since he questioned the batsmen's intent — his favourite buzzword — after the Adelaide capitulation.

However, 23 days since the pink ball Test, that Adelaide horror does feel long gone after watching India's performances in the last two Tests, especially after witnessing India fight fire with fire in the second innings of the Sydney Test. In the space of those 23 days, India have had their premier batsman unavailable. Lost a first-team pacer to injury. Bounced back to level the series 1-1. Lost another pacer to injury mid-Test. Had fingers and elbows smashed and left hamstrung. They have been subject to alleged racist slurs from the stands. But amidst all the adversities, they have stood strong. The grit and resilience they displayed on the final day of the Sydney Test was a testament to their mental strength and how far they have come from that Adelaide capitulation.

Team India were allegedly racially attacked in the on-going Pink Test by some sections of the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 

Many cricketing stalwarts condemn the incident and called in unfortunate. Now, Indian captain, Virat Kohli has condemned the incident that took place at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 

Virat Kohli, who left Team India after the first Test to go on paternity leave, was disappointed with the racial incident that took place at the SCG. 

He took to Twitter and wrote: "Racial abuse is absolutely unacceptable. Having gone through many incidents of really pathetic things said on the boundary Iines, this is the absolute peak of rowdy behaviour. It's sad to see this happen on the field."