After a crushing defeat to New Zealand at home, India suffered another setback, losing the prestigious Border-Gavaskar series 3-1. Despite the loss, the five-match Test series in Australia offered no less excitement than a Hollywood blockbuster. In this context, a video of India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah went viral on platform X, showing him adjusting his shoes. In the video, Bumrah appears to place something inside his shoes before putting them on. Social media users quickly began sharing the clip, accusing Bumrah of using sandpaper for ball tampering.
Tom Browne claimed, ‘Breaking: India are being investigated by the ICC for ball tampering. This comes after an undisclosed item fell out of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s shoe.’
Morty tweeted, ‘Strong rumors suggest that Jasprit Bumrah has left the SCG, claiming an injury, shortly after being informed that he’s under investigation for allegedly hiding sandpaper in his shoe.’
Jonas A Seagal stated, ‘Well, this is interesting. Is that sandpaper????’
Raf Sciezka and Avinashi also shared a similar claim.
We began our fact-checking process by conducting a Google search related to the topic. Our search led us to a news article published by NDTV on January 5, 2025, which stated that Bumrah had been accused of altering the condition of the ball during the first innings. In a viral video, Bumrah was seen removing and re-wearing his shoes when a suspicious object fell out of his spikes. Rival fans quickly jumped to conclusions, calling for the ICC to investigate Bumrah, who finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 32 scalps to his name.
In response to the viral video, Ashwin dismissed the accusations with a laugh, revealing that the “suspicious” object was simply a “finger protection pad.”
To verify this, we searched for “finger protection pad” on Google. Amazon displayed a range of products designed to protect the toes and fingers, commonly used by fast bowlers and ballet dancers.
Additionally, we found no reports or updates on the ICC’s official website or social media indicating that Indian pacer and Test vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is under investigation for ball tampering.
Notably, in March 2018 Australian players Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith, and David Warner were caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball in a test match against South Africa. The incident led to widespread controversy, with Smith and Warner receiving year-long bans and Bancroft a nine-month suspension.
| Claim | Jasprit Bumrah used sandpaper for ball tampering. |
| Claimed by | Social media users |
| Conclusion | The “suspicious” object was a finger protection pad, not sandpaper. Commonly used by fast bowlers to safeguard their fingers during play. |
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