BCCI takes a dig at Australian captain Steven Smith for seeking help from his dressing room for the usage of DRS on Day 4 of the 2nd Test vs India at Bangalore
BCCI takes a dig at Australian captain Steven Smith for seeking help from his dressing room for the usage of DRS on Day 4 of the 2nd Test vs India at Bangalore
Steve Smith asking the dressing room for advice. Pic/Screengrab from BCCI Twitter
The heat is on! The India-Australia Test series is tied 1-1, but more importantly the hostile atmosphere in the 2nd match between the Indians and Australians has ensured that the remaining games would be played with a different intensity.
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It all happened due after Aussie captain Steven Smith stirred a hornet's nest when he sought inputs from the team's support staff seated in front of TV screens and laptops in the dressing room on the usage of the Decision Review System (DRS) during Day 4 of the 2nd Test vs India at Bangalore's M Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday.
India won the tie by 75 runs to level the 4-match Test series 1-1, but the incident snowballed into a controversy with many
former players criticising Smith's act.
The incident took place in the 21st over of Australian second innings. Smith was trapped LBW by pacer Umesh Yadav and having already blown a DRS call, involving David Warner, the Australians were in a fix to go for another referral.
Umesh Yadav celebrates the wicket of Steve Smith during the fourth day of the second test match between India and Australia at Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Pic/PTI
Smith first turned to the non-striker's end -- at Peter Handscomb -- to seek an opinion but sparks flew when the umpires noticed that the batsman had turned towards the dressing room as well to get a clue. The on-field officials immediately intervened to stop Smith but matters came to a head when Virat Kohli too joined the discussion, leading to an exchange between him and the rival captain.
Accusing the Aussies of 'crossing the line' repeatedly, Team India skipper Virat Kohli said in the post-match press conference, "I saw that two times happening when I was batting out there. I pointed it out to the umpires, that it's happened twice and I have seen their (Australia's) players looking up there for confirmation, and that's why the umpire was at him (captain Steve Smith)."
"Because we observed that and we told the match referee as well, and we told the umpires they had been doing that for the last three days and that had to stop."
"There's a line that you don't cross on the cricket field, sledging and playing against the opponents is different. I don't want to mention the word, but it falls into that bracket. I would never do something like that on the cricket field," he added.
An angry Virat Kohli blasted the Australian team in the post-match press conference
When a reporter asked if that word was ‘cheating', Kohli responded without a hint of a smile: "I didn't say that, you did."
"I don't want to say more on that, the videos are out there for everyone to see and it was getting repetitive and that's why the umpires knew that it might happen again."
Kohli said that during his brief stay at the crease in both the innings of the second Test, he saw the Australians seeking the dressing room's consent on the use of DRS.
"I saw it two times when I was batting, I can vouch for that," he said.
"We take our decisions on the field ourselves, we don't look for confirmation upstairs. I think that's one thing that's pretty consistent with us," he added.
Well, the battle lines have been drawn and the swords are out.
BCCI too came out in support of Kohli and his boys in the debate by taking a dig at Smith on Twitter.
And it seems that Australian cricket board -- Cricket Australia -- too has been poking BCCI on the contentious DRS issue.
BCCI took a dig at the 27-year-old visiting skipper for trying to get help from the Australian dressing room. It tweeted, "DRS - Dressing room review system? Smith tries to get some suggestions from the dressing room for a review https://www.bcci.tv/videos/id/4362/drs-dressing-room-review-system … #INDvAUS."
DRS - Dressing room review system? Smith tries to get some suggestions from the dressing room for a review https://t.co/2V488WaKEp #INDvAUS
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 7, 2017
CRICKET AUSTRALIA WANTED FANS TO DEBATE OVER DAVID WARNER'S DISMISSAL:
Cricket Australia had earlier in the day taken to Twitter to discuss opener David Warner's dismissal on Day 4 of the Test. In what it thought was a 'wrong decision' by the umpires.
Thoughts? #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/8IShFKKzh9
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) March 7, 2017
BCCI HAD EARLIER ASKED FANS TO DECIDE WHETHER VIRAT KOHLI WAS OUT OR NOT:
OUT or NOT OUT ? Richard Kettleborough thought it was out. What do you think ? #Virat @Paytm #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/ytG40lfuwt
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 6, 2017
VIDEO OF VIRAT KOHLI'S PRESS CONFERENCE:
Virat Kohli virtually accused the Australian team of cheating.
Virat Kohli's press conference is a must-watch: https://t.co/1eaM9vOvpe #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/4zszJHubNN
— cricket.com.au Video (@CricketVideo) March 7, 2017
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