Sign up now
Australia Shopping Network. It's All About Shopping!
Categories

Posted: 2017-03-27 22:49:34

Updated March 28, 2017 12:49:29

With another series defeat in India looming, it is clear Australia's cricket team is frustrated, angry and upset.

Since the unexpected Aussie victory in the Pune opener, the series has ebbed and flowed somewhat unpredictably, but the tourists have not won another game.

Now, with India needing 87 runs to win with 10 wickets in hand heading into day five of the series-deciding final Test, the Australian locker room is not much fun to be in.

"You can hear a pin drop in the dressing room. Very disappointing day," batting coach Graeme Hick said.

"There's always a chance until the final ball's bowled. It was a hard day today. The boys are pretty down."

With so many cameras around the grounds these days, viewers get a sense of the mood in and around the team and they were given a great insight when Murali Vijay claimed a slips catch off the edge of Josh Hazlewood late on day four.

With Australia in the midst of a 6 for 50 collapse to be all out for 137, Vijay snaffled a ball at second slip and India celebrated the catch.

So certain was India's opener that the catch was clean, he had already made his way to the sheds to get ready to bat.

But closer replays showed the ball had touched the ground before being completely secured.

The camera flashed up to the sheds after the 'not out' verdict, where Aussie captain Steve Smith appeared to say "f***ing cheat".

Whether number 11 Hazlewood fell then or before being trapped LBW for 0 probably made little difference to the overall result but the reaction of Smith, whose integrity was called into question earlier in the series, was indicative of an Australian tilt angered by another collapse.

Hick said he had not seen or heard Smith's reaction, but said the ball had clearly hit the ground.

"Having fielded in slips or close to the bat myself sometimes you're not 100 per cent sure," Hick said.

"He would've felt that go into his fingers and felt that was a clean catch."

It is unlikely that Smith, having been clearly upset by claims he cheated by looking up to the dressing room for advice on an on-field review in the second Test, would be inclined to give Vijay the same leeway as Hick did.

Despite the nasty Bangalore incident and all the mess that followed, Hick said the final Test had "been played in very good spirit".

Whether or not that is true is up for debate as wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has repeatedly clashed with India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in Dharamsala.

During India's first innings, Wade, as is his wont, was heard repeatedly chirping away at Jadeja, who scored 63.

"How come your not getting picked ... outside India? Why don't you get picked," Wade asked, before Smith piped up from slip to add "You don't deserve to play anywhere but here".

The feud continued while Australia was batting, with Wade and Jadeja arguing after Glenn Maxwell was dismissed by Ravi Aswhin for 45.

Topics: cricket, sport, india

First posted March 28, 2017 09:49:34

View More
  • 0 Comment(s)
Captcha Challenge
Reload Image
Type in the verification code above