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Cricket

India make Australia sledging complaint after final ODI

26/02/2008

India have made a complaint to match referee Jeff Crowe about alleged sledging by Australia in Sunday's tri-series one-day match in Sydney.

In a letter to Crowe, the Indian team has claimed that Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting used 'bullying tactics' during the match.

Bowler Ishant Sharma, 19, was fined 15 per cent of his match fee by Crowe after aggressive behaviour towards Symonds and the Indian team has claimed they were provoked by Australian sledging.

According to the Daily Telegraph, India are unhappy that Hayden repeatedly called Harbhajan Singh "mad boy" and that Symonds said "well bowled champ" after Sharma dismissed him.

Indian spokesman Vimal Soni said: "We could have filed another complaint but we didn't want to start another hearing."

He added that much has happened in the past and the Indian team "didn't want to open up old wounds" by complaining about the Australians.

Nevertheless, they have "mentioned specific incidents in the letter to the match referee", he concluded.

It is the latest controversial incident in India's Test and one-day tour of Australia. During the Test series, spinner Singh was charged with racially abusing Symonds - an offence he was later cleared of.

The two sides will meet again in the final of the tri-series after India beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday to set up another encounter with the Aussies.