IND vs ENG: Ben Stokes applies saliva, warned by umpire

The incident took place at the end of the 12th over when Ben Stokes used saliva to shine the ball, prompting umpire Nitin Menon to have a chat with him.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was seen applying saliva on the ball during the opening day of the day-night third Test against India.

In a breach of the COVID-19 protocol, England allrounder Ben Stokes inadvertently applied saliva on the ball during India’s first innings on the opening day of the third Test on Wednesday.

The incident happened during the change of ends after the 12th over. The umpires immediately sanitised the ball, and Nitin Menon, the ICC Elite panel umpire, also had a word with Stokes.

 

In a major breach of the bio-secure bubble, a spectator ran on to the field in the 19th over of India’s innings.

The fan jumped over the fence and started sprinting towards Virat Kohli. However, when the India captain gestured to him to go back to the stands, the spectator obliged.

After the incident, the security was tightened between the stands and the advertisement hoardings.

In the afternoon, Ishant Sharma, the second India pacer after Kapil Dev to earn 100 Test caps, was felicitated by President Ram Nath Kovind before the start of play.