The Australian cricket team has come under fire for their alleged arrogance during the Test Championship final at The Oval following a ‘disrespectful’ incident at the end of India’s first innings.
The incident occurred when Aussie players David Warner, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne appeared to walk off the pitch prematurely awaiting a decision from the third referee.
This act of impatience has sparked criticism, tarnishing their otherwise dominant performance against India.
On day three of the finals, India showed a spirited fight back as Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur battled valiantly through the morning session, adding crucial runs to their team’s tally.
Despite Australia maintaining a leading position throughout the game, frustrations began to mount for the team.
David Warner, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne return to the field of play while Usman Khawaja (not pictured) was halfway through the players’ changing rooms
Rohit Sharma and the rest of the Indian side were unimpressed with the Aussies leaving the field early
Dropped catches, wickets from no-balls and wasted ratings marred their day in the field. The Australians were eager to retire to the dressing room and begin their at bats, but were caught off guard by a bizarre turn of events.
In the 12th over of the day, Cameron Green dismissed Shardul Thakur for a hard-fought 51 runs.
Moments later, he appeared to have trapped Mohammed Siraj for a golden duck, with the field umpire raising his finger.
Following the standard of using the Decision Review System, batters typically review each dismissal, even if it seems obvious, when a team has one review left for their last wicket.
Expecting Siraj’s assessment to be a formality, the Australian players assumed it was a routine assessment and began walking down the field. However, the technology revealed that Siraj had in fact pressed the ball to his pads, overturning the on-field decision.
To their embarrassment, Australia’s top order had already left the field, eagerly preparing for their second innings. The crowd’s cheers soon turned to jeers, as onlookers found the incident disrespectful.
The arrogance of the Aussies to just walk away……#INDvsAUS
— Aditya Basu (@Adityabasu10) June 9, 2023
And the Aussie team is also under fire on social media.
‘I agree with that. That was bad from the Australians,” one fan posted.
“The four who were running should have known better. Totally disrespectful. Oh how the mighty game has fallen,” another posted.
‘What is it with this current crop of Australian players. These players should be set an example, and their match fees should be withheld, or better still, given to charity in India.” added one more.
Former Aussie Test skipper Ricky Ponting said he had never seen anything like the players racing off the field prematurely
Australian Marnus Labuschagne on his knees after attempting a ball from Indian Mohammed Siraj on the third day of the ICC World Test Championship final
Former Aussie Test skipper Ricky Ponting, puzzled by the turn of events, expressed surprise in the comment box, stating that he had never witnessed such an event.
Meanwhile, broadcaster Alison Mitchell noted that Usman Khawaja was already halfway up the stairs when the reversal was announced.
Cricinfo’s commentary by the ball labeled the act “disrespectful,” which resonated with the sentiments of the disapproving crowd.
Despite the controversy, the incident had little impact on the outcome of the match.
Just five balls later, a fiery bouncer from Mitchell Starc dismissed Mohammed Shami, who gave the glove to wicket-keeper Alex Carey. India ended their first innings with a total of 296, trailing by 173 runs.
At the end of the third matchday, Australia were 4 for 123, leading by 296 points, with Marnus Labuschagne unbeaten on 41.