Handscomb breaks silence on balltampering scandal

MELBOURNE:

Australian cricketer Peter Handscomb on Friday denied that he was involved in ball-tampering during the Test series against South Africa in March. He claimed that the video in which he appeared to have talked to his coach Darren Lehman through a walkie-talkie before going into the field to deliver a message to Cameron Bancroft was edited. “It’s actually amazing how much the media edited it (video footage),” cricket.com.au quoted Handscomb, as saying. On spotting Bancroft apparently altering the condition of the ball, coach Lehmann allegedly instructed something to Handscomb via walkie-talkie. After this, Handscomb was shown talking with Bancroft on the field, following which Bancroft hid what appeared to be a sandpaper inside his pants. “I get put into a catching position next to Cameron ... and literally was just trying to have a joke with him, there was nothing else mate - so all this build up about me trying to do something there was just, it wasn’t there,” he added.

Umesh Yadav took a step closer to ending his wait to play a Test away from the subcontinent against a major team. The fast bowler bowled another lively spell on Friday to grab two more wickets on the final morning of India’s lone warm-up game against Essex.

Umesh Yadav bowled Essex stumper James Foster for 42 and then had tail-ender Matt Coles caught at second slip by Shikhar Dhawan for nought before the home side reached 345 for eight at lunch. India had scored 395 in their first innings.

There were showers early on Friday, bringing a brief respite as England reels under a harsh summer. However, it was hot and humid when play began at 11 am. India skipper Virat Kohli has mostly used the match to give his pacers a good run, although there wasn’t much on the pitch to offer them any assistance.

Umesh was easily the best of the five Indian seamers in action. The 30-year-old was a doughty customer during India’s long home Test run in 2016-17, his 12 matches out of 13 in that stretch also proving his improved fitness and ability to stay patient and work batsmen out.

However, the Indian team management did not use Umesh Yadav on the South Africa tour, where his chances further receded after Jasprit Bumrah’s impressive debut. With Bumrah

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