Image: During the Test in Adelaide, a fan was removed for waving a piece of sandpaper / © ABC
Amid the 10-wicket loss against Australia, there was a moment in the test to enjoy for the fans when an Indian supporter was escorted out of the Adelaide Oval after waving what appeared to be sandpaper. A viral video showed the fan in an India Test jersey, allegedly waving the item, a reference to the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
The incident occurred during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which saw a dominant performance from Australia, with Mitchell Starc claiming six wickets as India were bowled out for just 180 runs in their first innings.
Watch the video of the Incident here:
Travis Head then played a match-winning knock of 140 runs off 141 balls, guiding Australia to a 337-run total. India struggled in reply, with only 175 runs, and Australia won easily by chasing down a target of 19 runs in the third session of day three.
The sandpaper reference harks back to the 2018 South Africa Test series, where Australian players Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were caught in a ball-tampering scandal. The incident led to year-long bans for Smith and Warner, significantly impacting Australia’s cricketing history. The fan’s action, though light-hearted, added an unexpected twist to an otherwise tough Test for India.