Ugly and heated controversies, top notch banter, fierce sledging and world class cricket has always been a part of India-England rivalry. The two powerhouses of cricket have churned out some memorable matches in the past and are all set to lock horns once again in the upcoming five-match Test series.
While there is no doubt that the two teams will once again justify the hype surrounding the series with some fierce competition on the field, no one can guarantee that the series will conclude without any major controversy. One of the most fierce rivalries in world cricket, the encounters between these two teams have had its fair share of controversy which makes the upcoming series even more intersting. So let us take a look at five major controversies between England and India in the past.
5. Vaseline Incident (1976-77)
England’s 1976-77 tour to India was one of their most successful visit to the subcontinent as they thoroughly dominated the series and won it handsomely by 3-1. However, the series was marred by a huge controversy as there were speculations all around that the English bowlers had used vaseline to swing the ball.
England pacers Bob Willis and John Lever were finding it tough to contain the sweat from running into their eyes and were suggested by their physiotherapist to wear a strip of gauze across their eyebrows held firmly by vaseline to prevent the sweat getting into their eyes. Meanwhile, Lever threw the gauze on the ground at one point and the umpire was quick to seize it.
The gauze along with the ball was sent for a test and traces of vaseline was found on both of them. Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi accused the English bowlers of ball-tampering but no official action was taken.