Australia v India

Watch: Mayank Agarwal engages in unique method to shine ball in Brisbane

by Wisden Staff January 18, 2021 - 11:36am 2 minute read

Watch: India batsman Mayank Agarwal was seen practising a unique method to shine the ball, borrowing sweat from his teammates during the fourth day of the Brisbane Test to polish the ball.

Ahead of the 46th over of Australia’s second innings, cameras captured Mayank using quick bowler Shardul Thakur’s forearm to muster sweat in order to shine the ball, before taking it off to T Natarajan.

Earlier, he was also seen borrowing sweat from Mohammed Siraj’s forehead on more than one occasion before shining the ball, a practice that left many fans on social media amused.

In May last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ICC had prohibited the use of saliva or substance to shine the ball to protect the players against the possibility of virus spread. The Cricket Committee, however, approved the use of sweat to shine the ball.

A press release from ICC last year said: “The committee also noted the medical advice that it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through sweat and saw no need to prohibit the use of sweat to polish the ball whilst recommending that enhanced hygiene measures are implemented on and around the playing field.”

On the back of the recommendations last year, England bowlers had resorted to using back sweat to shine the ball during their Test series against West Indies.

With considerable moisture in the air in Brisbane (humidity was as high as 81 per cent towards the end of the fourth day’s play), Mayank would have found enough forearms to wipe the ball with.