James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja were involved in a controversial incident in the Trent Bridge Test in 2014, with the Indian team lodging a complaint against the England pacer.
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The India vs England series has always been fought with tremendous intensity. England won only two series in the last 37 years in India. The Indian cricket team, on the other hand, had won only two series in England in 35 years. Every team that has toured has wanted to do well desperately. After England won in 2012, England has lost seven out of the last nine Tests in India.
The Indian cricket team, on the other hand, has won only two Tests out of 14, losing 11 with one draw in the last 14 years. The only draw that India and England had was the 2014 Trent Bridge Test. It was the opening Test of the five-match series. It was a high-scoring draw and the action on the field was dour. But, off the field, there were sparks flying. During the match, there were allegations that Ravindra Jadeja was pushed by James Anderson and words flew.
Murali Vijay hit a century and he was well supported by MS Dhoni who blasted 82. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami responded with a century stand for the final wicket. Joe Root smashed 154 and James Anderson, batting at No.11, created a new world record at that time. The duo shared a 198-run stand for the final wicket, which was the highest-ever in history.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s five-wicket haul was the only respite for the bowlers. Towards the end, Alastair Cook got his only Test wicket as he dismissed Ishant Sharma. The match petered out to a draw. But, off the field, fireworks were already taking place.
On the second day, there were reports that Anderson had allegedly pushing and abusing Jadeja. The Indian cricket team manager, Sunil Dev, told ESPNCricinfo that they had decided to press charges against Anderson only after he had asked MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher. It is believed that Dhoni told Sunil Dev that everyone had apparently complained when Anderson physically touched Jadeja.
These were worrying times for England. There was a chance that Anderson might be found guilty of breaching Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct. At that time, a level 3 offense meant that four to eight suspension points, meaning that Anderson would miss a total of four Tests.
An independent judicial commissioner was appointed to adjudicate. The ICC appointed Gordon Lewis to oversee the whole situation. In the light of the situation, ICC match referee David Boon had fined Anderson 50 percent of his match fee but Dhoni and the BCCI appealed. However, even Gordon Lewis stated that there was no proof.
Since there was no video of the incident as well as audio, it was incredibly hard to pronounce anyone guilty. There was swearing, but in such a way that the umpires did not deem it necessary to report it to the match referee. Had the umpires reported the swearing in a manner that was obscene, the players would have been guilty under level 2 of the Code of Conduct.
The England and Wales Cricket Board backed Anderson and also filed a level three Code of Conduct breach against Jadeja. But, the charges were never proved and both players were found not guilty.
The charge hurt India. They bounced back in grand style to win the Lord’s Test for the first time in 28 years. Ajinkya Rahane’s century, Bhuvneshwar and Ishant’s six and seven-wicket hauls gave India a big win. But, England and Anderson bounced back in grand style. India was beaten by 266 runs in Southampton and the series went downhill from that point. India lost the five-Test series 3-1 after losing in three days in Manchester and The Oval. For many, the incident was dramatic but there was never any proof of whatever happened.
