Watch as an Indian fan is removed by security in Adelaide for displaying sandpaper, reigniting the infamous 2018 ball-tampering controversy.
New Delhi: Amid Australia beating India in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval and leveling the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025 by 1-1, tensions have started rising in Australia, and it seems the fans are getting more intense as well. A video surfaced showing an Indian fan being forced to exit the Adelaide stadium after he brought sandpaper into the arena. In Australia and the cricketing world, the mention of sandpaper recalls the infamous 2018 incident when Australian players Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were banned from international cricket for two years for ball tampering using sandpaper. The Indian fan was escorted out of the stadium amidst cheers from the Australian crowd.
In the video, an Indian fan wearing a team jersey is seen being asked to leave the stands after displaying the sandpaper. The sight of the sandpaper was met with a mix of cheers and jeers from the Adelaide crowd.
However, after a few moments, the fan is seen being almost forcefully escorted away from the stands by two or three security guards, while he continues to hold the sandpaper aloft.
The incident directly references the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, after which Smith and Warner were banned for 12 months, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban. In that case, Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to alter the ball’s condition, following advice from Smith and Warner, after an investigation.
The incident in the stands follows a heated on-field exchange between Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head during the second pink-ball Test in Adelaide.
Both Siraj and Head were handed one demerit point by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their involvement, while Siraj was also fined 20 percent of his match fees.
With the series tied at 1-1, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has predicted that tensions are likely to rise again between the two sides.
“What I feel personally is, things will definitely get heated from the next Test match, but whatever incident happened here, should be left here in Adelaide,” said Harbhajan, speaking on Star Sports.
The third Test in Brisbane kicks off on Saturday, December 14.
