The emotions were running high after Steven Smith’s men took a lead in the series, that too in the opening Test in Pune! However, Australia skipper Steven Smith found himself in middle of a controversy in the second Test in Bengaluru. The Australian skipper looked to the dressing room to cross-check whether to review his lbw—in a moment he described as ‘brain fade’. The Indian camp, however, accused the visitor of abusing the Decision Review System—stopping just short of calling Smith a cheat. With both Virat Kohli and Smith sticking to their ground, the boards of India and Australia had to intervene. But even a clear-the-air meeting between the skippers failed to smooth things over.
In the third Test, the rancour worsened when Australia’s Glenn Maxwell mocked a shoulder injury sustained by Virat Kohli while diving to save a boundary. After making a similar plunge in the outfield, the Australian clutched his shoulder and grinned to his team-mates in a parody that infuriated Indian fans. However, Kohli gave it back after David Warner was dismissed for 14 the next day. The Indian skipper was seen grabbing his shoulder in a theatrical fashion.
An infuriated Steve Smith called Murali Vijay a cheat for claiming a catch that had hit the grass. That heated up the atmosphere in the final Test in Dharamsala. Smith, watching the incident from the dressing room, was seen calling Vijay a cheat, but he later apologised for letting his emotions get the better of him.
The final Test in Dharamsala saw another controversy as Ravindra Jadeja and Matthew Wade were engaged in a banter, which could have been left on the field, but for the BCCI uploading it on its website! The verbal clash was picked up by stump microphones and the board posted the complete exchange on its website and social media channels for all to hear. Smith showed his disappointment.
Before the series got underway, Virat Kohli had gone on record, claiming that he is friends with the Australians off the field. But the Indian captain’s perception changed as the series progressed. After winning the series in Dharamsala on Tuesday, the captain said said he wouldn’t think of the Australian players as friends “ever again”, a comment which drew a strong reaction from Aussie media. Smith also revealed that he invited the Indian players to share a beer with his team, but was rebuffed as the series ended in acrimony.
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