‘Never seen this’: debate spins around Ravi Jadeja and mystery substance

Prominent former cricketers have weighed in on a debate that surfaced around what India spinner Ravindra Jadeja was doing with an unidentified substance near the ball on the opening day of the first Test in Nagpur.

Former Australia captain Tim Paine ignited a social media discussion after describing an on-field interaction between Jadeja, who ended the first day of play with five wickets, and teammate Mohammed Siraj as “interesting”.

Broadcast vision captured Jadeja taking something out of Siraj’s hand during day one of play at VCA Stadium and then rubbing his hands and left index finger around the ball with an unidentified substance.

Several Indian media reports said the substance was an ointment Jadeja was applying to a sore finger. Paine, who quit as Australia’s Test skipper in November, replied to a Twitter user asking what he thought of the footage with “interesting”.

Clips of the incident went viral on social media, with former England captain Michael Vaughan also having a say. “What is it he is putting on his spinning finger? Never ever seen this …,” Vaughan wrote on Twitter.

Michael Clarke, another former Australia Test captain, said he thought Jadeja was probably applying vaseline to protect an injured finger, but could have avoided any debate by doing so in front of the umpire.

“He’s bowling so much so he’s probably got a blister or cut on that finger,” Clarke said on Sky Sports Radio. “What he should have done there, he should have given the ball to the umpire and stand in front of the umpire while he was putting it on his finger.

“I don’t look at that and think it’s a thing. I just wish he didn’t have the ball in his hand. If he chucks the ball to the umpire and does that I don’t think there’s any comment made about that. It’s just the perception.

“I don’t think there’s anything to it. I could be 100% wrong.”

Jadeja proved the key man as the four-Test series got under way, starring with figures of 5-47 to put India in the box seat after a commanding opening day.

AAP has contacted the International Cricket Council for comment. Under the ICC’s Test conditions, players are banned from using an artificial substance on the ball.