England accused of ball tampering in Manchester Test
The fourth India vs England Test witnessed significant drama on the final day in Manchester. After three days of English dominance, India took charge in the second innings. Bolstered by the gritty performance of the batting lineup, the visitors cornered England to surrender in a draw. Ben Stokes looked agitated in the closing moments of the match as he attempted to sabotage the centuries of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. However, another instance has emerged from the Manchester Test, throwing shade on the English conduct in the crucial fixture.
Ricky Ponting highlights Brydon Carse's ball tampering attempt in Manchester Test
An instance from the fourth India vs England match has gone viral on social media, which paints Brydon Carse in a contentious light. Despite imposing a heavy lead of 311 runs, England were unable to clinch the game. The second innings started with Chris Woakes dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan off consecutive deliveries. However, the initial setback was covered swiftly by the 174-run stand between captain Shubman Gill and India's senior-most batter, KL Rahul, by the end of Day 4.
The final day of the Manchester Test witnessed Gill notching up his fourth century of the series shortly after Rahul departed at 90. After the 188-run stand between Gill and Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja partnered with Washington Sundar to defy the 311-run lead and force Bazball into a draw. The Old Trafford surface acted inconsistently, offering uneven bounce towards the conclusion of the match. However, overall, the pitch remained out of favor for the bowlers as both teams struggled to make a notable impact with the cherry.
However, it seems the conditions in the Manchester Test frustrated English pacer Brydon Carse to the point where he took matters into his own hands. In a video going viral on social media, Carse could be seen stepping hard on the Duke. While bowlers often use their foot to stop a ball in the follow-through, Carse imposed significant pressure on the red ball with his spikes.
The incident occurred in the 12th over of the second innings after Shubman Gill dispatched two consecutive boundaries off the pacer. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting observed and highlighted Carse's act while on his commentary duties. Ponting explained that bowlers often try to scrape off the ball to generate some reverse swing. However, the move pulled by Brydon Carse in the Manchester Test could be labeled as a ball-tampering attempt.
“This is from Brydon Carse’s last over. This is something he does in his follow-through here. Stops the ball and does it, oops. A couple of big spikes into the shiny side of the ball,” Ponting said while in the commentary box.
