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Tempers flare again as Smith calls Vijay 'cheat'

Cricket Fourth Test: Another unsavoury chapter in an acrimonious series
Last Updated 27 March 2017, 18:55 IST
The India-Australia series might be on its last leg, but the hostilities between the two sides continue to fester. On a day of complete Indian domination, words were exchanged and tempers soared.

The prominent one was the TV camera capturing Australian captain Steven Smith in the dressing room calling Murali Vijay “f****** cheat” when the Indian fielder at the second slip claimed to have taken the low catch of Josh Hazlewood. With Hazlewood being the last batsman out, the Indian team ran up the dressing room to get ready to bat in the second innings.  However, the television replays showed that Vijay had taken it off the turf. The television cameras then showed an incensed Smith.

Australian batting coach Graeme Hick, however, tried to play down the issue.

“I haven’t seen that part of it but I was watching it on – we have our own little pads there watching it and the ball definitely touched the ground, so the process is in place, play resumed. I have not seen anything or heard anything of that, so until I do, I am not going to comment on it. That’s for other people to comment on, not me,” he said.

“I mean having fielded in slips and close to the bat, sometimes you're not a 100% sure. He would've felt that go into his fingers and felt that it was a clean catch. If anything, once the batter or whoever maybe has gone for the review, yeah fair enough, maybe the fielder should stand around and wait. The processes are in place. At times, this series has been a little bit heated, but I think this game has been played in very good spirit and he obviously thought he had a clean catch. It goes upstairs, comes back and gets on with the game.”

Wade irked
Earlier wicketkeeper Matthew Wade had got into an argument with Ravindra Jadeja after Glenn Maxwell’s dismissal.

The incident took place in the 33rd over of Australia’s second innings after Maxwell was adjudged LBW.

Maxwell took a DRS, which remained umpire’s call. As Maxwell started walking, an angry Wade tried to approach the melee of Indian players but R Ashwin came in between and held back the Aussie ’keeper.

Wade was having an argument with Jadeja, who seemed equally involved before another player pulled him aside.

Wade was fuming and as he walked back to his crease, he was seen having another round of discussion with Vijay. The two umpires then called India’s stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Jadeja for a chat to cool things down.

“Nothing happened. But we all know what happens when something like this happens on the field of play. I just told him, that once you lose and are free, we will have dinner together,” Jadeja chuckled, making light of his exchange with Wade.
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(Published 27 March 2017, 18:55 IST)

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