'Shameless': Indians fume after Steve Smith caught in controversial act
Steve Smith has sparked a furious response from Indian supporters after some gamesmanship on the fifth day of the Sydney Test.
India had the Aussies worried after a defiant first two sessions on Day 5 in their attempt to hunt down a record run-chase at the SCG.
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A stoic 97 effort from Rishabh Pant had the Australian team on the back foot and the stump camera picked up some gamesmanship from Smith earlier in the batman’s innings.
Smith walked over to the crease and performed some shadow batting, which he so often does much to the amusement fo cricket fans.
But following this, Smith appeared to rough up Pant’s guard at the crease.
Only seconds later when Smith departed to his fielding position, Pant was seen asking the umpire for guard.
The move, which isn’t illegal and is nothing more than gamesmanship, prompted fierce backlash from cricket fans.
Shoes can be used for many things. Removing an opponent’s batting guard mark too....
Not for taking sharp catches though.... #Smith #Pant #AusvInd— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 11, 2021
Very few teams take so much effort to ensure you keep hating them. https://t.co/8TkoDzIm0l
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) January 11, 2021
All class @CricketAus how come @stevesmith49 is allowed to play childish games like this . #AUSvINDtest . If you want to win the game it shld be won on proper spirits. All this does is make smith appear a poor character doesn't matter if he scores million runs.ur bettter mate
— ImAbhyu (@Gopalan_Shrini) January 11, 2021
And then people call him Goat. He shouldn’t be there in the league of Kohli. Such a shameless guy.
— Akash dwivedi (@dwivediakash70) January 11, 2021
Aussies never disappoint. 🥸
— Twitr & Facebuk are Cucking Fommies (@IndusEyes) January 11, 2021
Despite the tactics, Pant didn’t appear too perturbed as he went on to fall just short of a century to give India a fighting chance on Day 5.
Mic stump picks up Aussie chat
Tim Paine and Matthew Wade have been overheard on stump microphones making reference to Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds’ controversial comments about Marnus Labuschagne.
Warne and Symonds caused controversy on Saturday when they were caught making disparaging remarks about Labuschagne when they thought they weren’t on air yet.
Paine and Wade responded on Monday after making a few quips back at the pair.
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