The third Test match between India and Australia was, on Sunday, marred by allegations of racial abuse directed at the visitors by a section of the crowd. Play was halted for a few minutes after India pacer Mohammed Siraj complained of racial abuse from a section of the crowd. On Saturday and Sunday, Siraj and senior bowler Jasprit Bumrah were allegedly subjected to multiple abuses including racist slurs like "Brown Dog" and "Big Monkey", which led to eviction and subsequent arrest of six Australian spectators.
The matter is being investigated by Cricket Australia and ICC match referee David Boon is expected to provide full report.
The incident has not gone down well with the cricketing fraternity, with several Indian cricketers voicing their concern. Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin articulated the Indian players' deep sense of hurt at the end-of-play press conference, saying it wasn't the first time in Sydney.
"Look, I would like to point out something. This is my fourth tour to Australia. Sydney, especially here, we have had a few experiences even in the past," Ashwin said. "I personally experienced it as well. They do tend to get nasty. I don't know why or for what reason," he added and called for an iron-fisted response to such diatribes.
'Monkeygate', 2007-08 series
The incidents of racial abuse revived memories of the infamous 'Monkeygate' episode during the 2007-08 series. Incidentally, that controversy too flared up during the Sydney Test when Andrew Symonds claimed that Harbhajan Singh hurled the racist slur at him.
Symonds accused the off-spinner, who was batting with Tendulkar then, of calling him a 'monkey'. The incident created a lot of bad blood between the two teams, with Kumble, in a post-match press conference, famously saying,“Only one team was playing in the spirit of the game, that’s all I can say.” The Australian team pressed racism charges against Singh, and match referee Mike Procter handed the off-spinner a three-match ban. The Indian team threatened to pull out of the tour, following which an official court hearing was conducted. ICC appeals commissioner Justice John Hansen, eventually, found Singh ‘not guilty’ of racially abusing Symonds and the three-match ban was overturned. The off-spinner was instead slapped with a 50 per cent match fee fine. The Aussies expressed disappointment with the court verdict, but the tour went on.
Singh took to Twitter to express his views on Sunday's incident. "I personally have heard many things on the field while playing in Australia about Me My religion My colour and much more..This isn't the first time the crowd is doing this nonsense..How do u stop them ??," he tweeted.
Kohli's 'middle-finger' response, 2011-12 series
In 2011, a young Virat Kohli was embroiled in a controversy when he was snapped showing the middle finger to the Sydney crowd on his first tour to Australia after being continually abused at the boundary ropes.
The Indian skipper, who is on paternity leave, tweeted in response to the racist abuse against Indian players. "Racial abuse is absolutely unacceptable. Having gone through many incidents of really pathetic things said on the boundary lines, this is the absolute peak of rowdy behaviour.
"It's sad to see this happen on the field," Kohli tweeted.
Australia looked on course for a victory after setting the visitors a target of 407 on Sunday. At stumps, India were two down for 98.
The series currently locked 1-1 and the finale is scheduled in Brisbane from January 15.
(With PTI inputs)
