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

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has made fresh claims about Australia's use of technology during the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India. The former India batsman alleged that the Australian team had access to a live feed in their dressing room to view DRS replays, giving them an unfair advantage during decision reviews. Pujara stated that this practice allowed Australian players to make informed choices about whether to challenge umpire decisions.

According to Pujara, the discovery came after India's players noticed a pattern in Australia's DRS success rate during the series. Every time Australia reviewed a decision, their calls appeared accurate, which raised suspicions among the Indian camp. Pujara explained the mechanics of how this advantage functioned and what made it different from standard broadcast feeds available to teams.

"Every time you looked at their DRS decisions, they were spot on. They knew whether they had to take it or not. Until then, none of us Indian players was aware that Australia had a live feed in their dressing room," Pujara said in conversation with Aakash Chopra on Baith & Bol.

Australia's live feed advantage during DRS reviews

Pujara further elaborated on the technical aspect of the arrangement. He noted that dressing-room feeds are normally delayed, but Australia had secured a live feed for their use during the series. This allowed Australian players to glance toward the dressing room and receive real-time information before committing to a review decision.

"Normally, the dressing-room feed is delayed, but they had a live feed ready. So, they used to sneak a look towards the dressing room so that nobody would catch them, and then make the call on whether to take the DRS or not," Pujara added.

"It was unfair in a way. You are searching for the loophole. If this was done by any other team, they would’ve objected. But they had no problem doing it themselves," Pujara said.

Pujara's view on the fairness of the practice

During the Bengaluru Test, Steve Smith was dismissed leg before wicket by Umesh Yadav in Australia's second innings. Smith looked toward the Australian dressing room seeking advice on whether to review the decision, and Virat Kohli intervened to prevent him from taking DRS. Smith later attributed his actions to a "brainfade" moment. Kohli had accused Smith of crossing the line and said Australians repeatedly looked toward the dressing room for DRS assistance.

"A lot happened during the series. They were desperate to win a series in India. Credit to them, though; they came prepared. They were the first team since England in 2012 to give us a scare that we could lose to Australia at home," Pujara said.

The 2017 series was significant because Australia posed a genuine threat to India's home record. India's last home Test series loss before 2017 came against England in 2012. Australia won the first Test in Pune by 333 runs, with Steve O'Keefe taking 12 wickets for 70 runs, the best bowling figures by an Australian bowler in a Test match in India. However, India won the Bengaluru Test by 75 runs and clinched the series 2-1.

"Prior to that, they weren’t even able to compete as much. They had players for it. But on the field, a lot happened, and a lot of them I cannot talk about, which I feel shouldn’t have happened. These things tend to become a little personal," he added.

Reflecting on the heated exchanges and the intense atmosphere during the series, Pujara admitted that he too had crossed the line at times, particularly when Australia’s sledging became excessive. However, he acknowledged that such moments could often lead players into making personal remarks that they later regretted.

"I too sledged. We checked if the camera is on us or not, or if the stump mic is not catching anything. But you do not want to be in that situation. You do that when the opponent is sledging a lot; then you go into that space where I am not going to hold back now. Ultimately, the purpose is to pick a wicket, but a lot of the time you end up making personal comments, which you are not proud of," Pujara concluded.