Xtra Time Web Desk: Ace India off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday said that any racial abuse incident should be dealt with iron fists. Ashwin has labeled the Sydney crowd as the most abusive, having experienced it personally on his previous three tours Down Under. According to the off spinner, the fans on the lower tier stands at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) indulge in rude behaviour every time he has come to play.
Ashwin said he was surprised that the authorities at the SCG allowed fans to continue with racial abuse even on Day Four of the ongoing Test despite the fact that the Indian team had lodged a complaint at the end of the third day’s play.
“This is my fourth tour to Australia. Especially here in Sydney we have had a few experiences even in the past. I think one or two times in the past even the players have reacted and got into trouble in the past (referring to Virat Kohli showing middle-finger at SCG in 2012 and getting fined 50 per cent match fee for it). It is not because of the players, it has been the way the crowd has been speaking especially people on lower tier of the stand, they have been quite nasty hurling abuses as well,” said Ashwin during the virual press conference at the end of Day 4.
“This time they have gone one step ahead and used racial abuses and like we already mentioned we lodged an official complaint yesterday. It is definitely not acceptable in this day and age where we have evolved as a society. Sometimes I feel it roots back to the upbringing. It definitely must be dealt with iron-fist and we must make sure it doesn’t happen again.”