The third Test that ended with Australia salvaging a draw in difficult circumstances had its share of controversies with mockgate being the most talking point.
To have an incident-free India-Australia Test is like finding an albino dolphin. It's as rare as the gentle water creature.
The third Test that ended with Australia salvaging a draw in difficult circumstances had its share of controversies with mockgate being the most talking point.
Even on the final day when the Indian bowlers gave their all to take six remaining Australian wickets and force a win, tempers flared. With about half-an-hour to go for lunch, captain Steve Smith and opener Matt Renshaw exchanged words with pacer Ishant Sharma.
It happened as Sharma was sprinting to deliver the second delivery of his fifth over from round the wicket to Renshaw. The tall left-hander pulled back. Not pleased with Renshaw's withdrawal, Sharma threw the ball in his stride to the wicketkeeper outside the off-stump that travelled far away from Renshaw.
As Sharma turned back to the top of his run-up, non-striker Smith said something to which Sharma reacted. Umpires had to intervene as Ajinkya Rahane, from mid-on ran in to pat the Indian pacer on the back and pull him away. Meanwhile, Renshaw delayed the proceedings by walking up to the centre of the pitch and pointed something at Sharma.
On Sunday evening, India captain Virat Kohli had a go at the Australians, holding on to his shoulder after David Warner was dismissed and giving him a mouthful send off.
The reason was that Kohli believed that the rival players were needlessly bringing up Team India physio Patrick Farhart's name.
Asked what exactly happened about the mocking incident, Kohli said: "Four or five of them took Patrick Farhart's name. I don't know why. His job is to treat me. I did not find the reason behind it. I could not understand."
On his part, Smith said he was disappointed with his name being drawn into the incident with the host broadcaster's images showing him clutching his left shoulder after taking Kohli's catch while actually he did not do that. It was his teammate Peter Handscomb's hand while celebrating the wicket.
Smith said: "I was a bit disappointed. I didn't actually do anything. Virat was having a go at me saying I was disrespecting Patrick Farhart. (If at all anything) he (Farhart) did a terrific job to get Virat out on the field. He's a terrific physio."
On the Sharma-Renshaw incident, Smith clarified: "Murali Vijay was at mid-wicket and moved a few steps to his left as the bowler was running in. It put him off and Renshaw is entitled to back away. I'm not sure what happened with Ishant, he wasn't overall happy. He bowled fairly well after that, got angry, bowled pretty well the next couple of overs after that."
Smith believed that the Test was played in the right spirit. "There's always a little bit of tension when Australia and India are playing in Test matches. As far as I'm concerned, it's being played in the right spirit on the field, it's been a tough hard grind. That's how I'd explain it, no issue with that."
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