India want investigation

Ishant Sharma and Andrew Symonds have words on Sunday © Getty Images

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India team manager Vimal Soni has confirmed a letter has been sent to match referee Jeff Crowe asking him to look into the “provocative” behaviour of the Australia players.

Andrew Symonds and Ishant Sharma exchanged words during Sunday’s one-day international after the Australia all-rounder was bowled.

Ishant was later fined 15% of his match fee for pointing Symonds towards the dressing room, but the India team management believe the 19-year-old paceman was provoked.

Reports have also claimed Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden engaged in banter with India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh during the game.
India have taken the matter to Crowe but have not lodged an official complaint.

“We are not cry babies but obviously we can’t allow our players to be regularly sledged,” Soni said.

“I’m happy that the match referee has given me an assurance that he will soon talk to the Australia team management on the issues raised in my letter. We accept the match referee’s decision for Ishant to have transgressed the Code of Conduct.

“Our plea was that Symonds provoked Ishant and that’s why he did what he did. We also wanted him to have a look at the provocation which the Australians have been repeatedly providing in the series.

“Much has happened in the recent past and we didn’t want to open up old wounds by making a complaint. But we have mentioned specific incidents in the letter.”