Ishan Kishan found himself at the centre of controversy during the first unofficial Test between India A and Australia A after an altercation with umpire Shawn Craig over the condition of the ball. On day four of the match, Kishan expressed his displeasure at the umpire's decision to change the ball, calling it a "very stupid decision."
In the video, shared by Fox Cricket, Craig told India A’s Ishan Kishan, “When you scratch it, we change the ball. No more discussion. Let’s play. This is not a discussion.” Kishan responded, “That’s a very stupid decision,” to which Craig warned, “Excuse me. You will be on report for dissent. That is inappropriate behaviour. Because of your actions, we changed the ball.” Kishan responded with, “Thank you!”
Following the incident, Fox Cricket's panel discussed the exchange, with David Warner's wife, Candice, commenting on the power of India in world cricket. She said, "It just goes to show the power of India and how strong they are. A lot of these umpires want to be part of the IPL.” Another panelist added, "India run the game. Every dollar that is raised in cricket is raised by India. This change over the last few decades has been extraordinary."
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Cricket Australia, in response to the allegations, issued a statement claiming the ball was changed due to “deterioration” and said that both managers and captains had been informed prior to play. A player, speaking anonymously to The Indian Express, denied any tampering, suggesting that a “nail from the sideboards may have brushed the ball.”
Under Cricket Australia's code of conduct, players found guilty of intentionally altering the condition of the ball may face bans. The code states that “Any action(s) likely to alter the condition of the ball which are not specifically permitted under Law 41.3.2 may be regarded as unfair.”
On the field, Australia A defeated India A by seven wickets. Australia A chased down a target of 224 with ease, thanks to a solid captain’s knock from Nathan McSweeney, who scored an unbeaten 88 off 178 balls. India A had posted 312 runs in their second innings, having conceded an 85-run lead in the first innings. Sai Sudharsan contributed with a knock of 103 runs, marking his second consecutive First-Class century, while Devdutt Padikkal added 88 runs. However, a lower-order collapse saw India A's innings end at 312 runs. For Australia A, Fergus O'Neill and Todd Murphy impressed with the ball, taking 4 and 3 wickets respectively.
