T20 World Cup 2024: Inzamam-ul-Haq alleges India of ball tampering
Pakistan cricket team’s ex-captain Inzamam ul Haq accuses the Indian team of ball tampering during a recent T20 World Cup match against Australia.
Losing the toss and put to bat first India posted 205 runs for 7 in their alloted 20 overs. Thanks to skipper Rohit Sharma’s 92, Suryakumar Yadav’s 31, Shivam Dube’s 28, and last but not least, Hardik Pandya’s 27 not out. Their bowlers were unable to contain the batting lineup of India on a wicket which was a paradise for the batsmen.
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However, putting a target of 206 before Australia, they could as hurriedly reach only 181. Arshdeep Singh was the most successful Indian bowler among the seamers as he returned figures of 3/37. Kuldeep Yadav took 2 wickets for 24 runs, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel also played a vital role in taking wickets which made India win.
This victory earned India a place in the semi-finals in which they were set to play against two-time World Cup champions England. Yet, Inzamam has served as a black mark to India by uttering some words about the match.
Inzamam questions reverse swing by Arshdeep Singh
Inzamam ul Haque takes suspicion specifically on the reverse swing that Arshdeep Singh used during the second spell and the 16th over specifically. Inzamam criticized how the Indian bowlers could bowl reverse swing with a not-so-used ball in a T20 match since the ball stays a relatively short time in play than in a test match. He noted that the umpires ought to have been more alert.
Inzamam said, “When Arshdeep Singh was bowling the 15th over (16th), he was getting reverse swing. With a (relatively) new ball, is it too early to get reverse swing? Was the ball ready for reverse swing by the 12th or 13th over? Because when he came to bowl, the ball started reversing. Umpires ko aankhein khuli rakhni chahiye (the umpires should keep their eyes open).”
India’s good performance cannot be overlooked
But then, it is also pertinent to review how India generally shapes up and, to the observer’s surprise, the country offers impressive scores. Their batting order seemed to be very strong especially Rohit Sharma at the top. The bowlers especially Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav were sharp and gave away minimal room while being deadly in their line and length. This integrated performance is a pointer to how India must be considered a tournament favourite.
India taking a convincing win over Australia was a big stride towards their T20 World Cup 2024 dream. Although, due to Inzamam’s accusations there has been much unnecessary drama. Meanwhile, team India getting prepared to face off against England in semifinal on 27 June.
