In videos that surfaced on social media during the match, Uthappa can be seen picking the ball up during the third over of the match, move his fingers towards his mouth before rubbing briefly on the ball.

 

Ban on the usage of saliva is one of the detailed guidelines that the International Cricket Council (ICC) put out for the resumption of cricket amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

There have, however, been instances when players have fallen foul of the rule. In the IPL, Delhi Capitals spinner Amit Mishra was spotted applying saliva on the ball during a match against SunRisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.

 

In August, Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir was pictured applying saliva on the ball during their three-match T20I series.

 

Players have spoken about the need for them to break out of the habit of using saliva in the days since the ICC announcement. "Cricket balls and all that, yes, we have to be little careful of and get used to not using the saliva as well. So old habits, at times, just creeps in as bowlers. So, we will have to be mindful of that," said Zaheer Khan, Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Operations .