‘They had a live feed ready’ – Pujara makes sensational claim on Steve Smith’s ‘brainfade’

‘Unke paas live feed ready thi’ – Pujara ne Steve Smith ke ‘brainfade’ par kiya bada khulasa. (Source: Aakash Chopra/X)

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara ne India mein 2017 ki Border-Gavaskar Trophy series ke dauran Australia ke technology ke use ko lekar naye aur hairatangez khulase kiye hain. Former India batsman ne arop lagaya hai ki Australian team ke paas DRS replays dekhne ke liye apne dressing room mein live feed ki access thi, jisse unhe decision reviews ke dauran unfair advantage mila. Pujara ne bataya ki is practice ki wajah se Australian players ko decision challenge karne ya na karne ka ek informed choice lene mein madad milti thi.

Pujara ke mutabik, is baat ka pata tab chala jab Indian players ne series ke dauran Australia ke DRS success rate mein ek ajeeb pattern notice kiya. Jab bhi Australia ne koi decision review kiya, unke calls bilkul accurate hote the, jisse Indian camp mein shaq paida ho gaya. Pujara ne is advantage ke kaam karne ke poore tarike (mechanics) ko samjhaya aur bataya ki kaise yeh teams ke liye available normal broadcast feeds se alag tha.

‘Har baar jab aap unke DRS decisions ko dekhte the, toh woh bilkul spot on hote the. Unhe pata hota tha ki unhe review lena hai ya nahi. Tab tak, hum mein se kisi bhi Indian player ko yeh nahi pata tha ki Australia ke paas unke dressing room mein live feed thi,’ Pujara ne Baith & Bol par Aakash Chopra se baat karte hue kaha.

### DRS reviews ke dauran Australia ka live feed advantage

Pujara ne is arrangement ke technical aspect ke baare mein aage detail se bataya. Unhone note kiya ki normal dressing-room feeds thodi delayed hoti hain, lekin Australia ne is series ke dauran apne use ke liye ek live feed secure kar rakhi thi. Is se Australian players ko dressing room ki taraf dekhne aur review decision lene se pehle real-time information mil jati thi.

‘Normally, dressing-room feed delay hoti hai, lekin unke paas ek live feed ready thi. Isliye, woh chupke se dressing room ki taraf dekh lete the taaki koi unhe pakad na sake, aur fir decision lete the ki DRS lena hai ya nahi,’ Pujara ne aage bataya.

‘Yeh ek tarah se unfair tha. Aap loophole dhoondh rahe ho. Agar yeh kisi aur team ne kiya hota, toh unhe objection hota. Lekin unhe khud aisa karne mein koi dikkat nahi thi,’ Pujara ne kaha.

### Is practice ke fairness par Pujara ke vichar

Bengaluru Test ke dauran, Australia ki second innings mein Steve Smith ko Umesh Yadav ne leg before wicket (LBW) out kiya tha. Smith ne Australian dressing room ki taraf dekha taaki woh review lene par advice le sakein, aur tabhi Virat Kohli ne beech-bichaav karke unhe DRS lene se rok diya. Smith ne baad mein apne is action ko ek ‘brainfade’ moment bataya tha. Kohli ne tab Smith par line cross karne ka arop lagaya tha aur kaha tha ki Australian players baar-baar DRS assistance ke liye dressing room ki taraf dekh rahe the.

‘Us series ke dauran bahut kuch hua. Woh India mein series jeetne ke liye bilkul desperate the. Halanki, unhe credit dena hoga; woh poori taiyari ke saath aaye the. England ki 2012 series ke baad woh pehli aisi team the jisne hume yeh darr dikhaya ki hum ghar par Australia se haar sakte hain,’ Pujara ne kaha.

Yeh 2017 ki series behad important thi kyunki Australia ne India ke home record ke liye ek real threat paida kar diya tha. 2017 se pehle India ki aakhiri home Test series loss 2012 mein England ke khilaf aayi thi. Australia ne Pune mein pehla Test 333 runs se jeeta tha, jisme Steve O’Keefe ne 70 runs dekar 12 wickets liye the, jo kisi bhi Australian bowler dwara India mein Test match mein best bowling figures hain. Halanki, India ne Bengaluru Test ko 75 runs se jeet kar series par 2-1 se kabza kar liya tha.

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‘Usse pehle, woh utna compete bhi nahi kar pa rahe the. Unke paas iske liye players the. Lekin on-field bahut kuch hua, aur unmein se kaafi cheezon ke baare mein main baat nahi kar sakta, jo mujhe lagta hai ki nahi hona chahiye tha. Yeh cheezein thodi personal ho jati hain,’ unhone aage bataya.

Series ke dauran heated exchanges aur intense mahaul ko yaad karte hue, Pujara ne accept kiya ki unhone bhi kuch mauko par line cross ki thi, khaaskar tab jab Australia ki sledging hadd se zyada badh gayi thi. Halanki, unhone mana ki aise moments aksar players ko personal comments karne par majboor kar dete hain, jiska unhe baad mein afsos hota hai.

‘Maine bhi sledging ki thi. Hum check karte the ki camera hum par hai ya nahi, ya fir stump mic kuch catch toh nahi kar raha. Lekin aap us situation mein nahi hona chahte. Aap aisa tab karte hain jab samne wali team bahut zyada sledging kar rahi ho; fir aap us space mein chale jaate hain jahan lagta hai ki ab main peeche nahi hatne wala. Ultimately, maqsad toh wicket lena hota hai, lekin kaafi baar aap aisi personal comments kar baithte hain, jispar aapko proud nahi hota,’ Pujara ne apni baat khatam karte hue kaha.