IND v ENG 2021: Ben Stokes caught applying saliva on the ball; umpire takes out sanitizer

Umpire had a chat with Ben Stokes and gave him a friendly warning for the act.

By - 25 Feb, 2021

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was caught using saliva to shine the ball during the first day of the Day-Night Test against India. Stokes seemed to be carried away in flow of the game that he didn't realize the use of saliva has been banned by ICC.

It was the 12th over of India's innings when Stokes appeared shining the ball after applying saliva onto it. He wasn't trying to hide it and did the act in front of the umpire, which was obviously an unintended mistake.

The on-field umpire Nitin Menon was quick to spot Stokes' error and sanitized the ball. He had a chat with Stokes and gave him a warning to not break the rule.

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Earlier on the opening day of the pink-ball Test, Stokes had wrongly claimed a catch of India batsman Shubman Gill. Third umpire's replay showed the ball touched the ground before Stokes grabbed it. 

The decision was debated by the English fans although there was clear evidence of not-out. Many felt the umpire should have tried a few different angles before coming to a conclusion. 

With the bat, Stokes fell for just 6 runs. He was given LBW off Akshar Patel's delivery in 29th over of England's innings. Overall, it was a bad day for him.

The all-rounder wasn't the only one to get out on a single digit as the Joe Root-side got bowled out on just 112 runs in the first innings. 

By - 25 Feb, 2021

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