There's something about the Sydney Cricket Ground. It makes the cricketers let out their emotions, express words and make gestures, not all of which are appreciated. Or is it that Ricky Ponting and the Australian team that act like cry babies when they find themselves at the receiving end in a game that they have so smartly mastered? There were three separate incidents today again. Ponting went to the umpire complaining about the behaviour of Ishant Sharma after the latter had given a warm send-off to Andrew Symonds. Ishant bowled Symonds with a slower ball and the batsman said some harsh words to Ishant, who promptly shot back in same language and also pointed his fingers towards the pavilion to show the Australian where he had to go. Umpire Daryl Harper went up to Ishant to speak to him about hand gestures. For his finger-pointing gesture Ishant has been booked for a level 1.6 code violation, the hearing for which, with match referee Jeff Crowe, is tomorrow. He can recieve a warning and/or a fine upto 50 per cent of his match fee. Like all programming on television, it would perhaps be appropriate if India-Australia matches are released with MA+ certificate — suitable only for Mature Audiences who can digest 19-year-olds and 35-year-olds mouthing obscenities at each other in a completely incorrect interpretation of playing 'hard cricket'.Interestingly, for all the little complaints by Ponting, it was he who re-started the talk in the last Adelaide match. Ponting, back in form and having handled both Ishant and Harbhajan properly, is reported to have reserved some special words and taunts for the Indian off-spinner. After the first drinks break, Harper had to cool things off after a heavy exchange of words between Ponting and Harbhajan. The umpire even went up to skipper Dhoni to bring it to his notice, but Dhoni promptly shot back saying that it was Ponting who had started it off, with even Matthew Hayden learned to have joined in the verbal onslaught. Ponting, however, brushed the issue away as "mild altercation" and denied information about getting a call from the match referee. According to sources, the Australian team is learnt to have targeted Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth, knowing that their previous reputation in similar controversy back in India, will make them more susceptible and easy prey to fall into the trap. The Australian team also brought it to the notice of the match referee that Dhoni’s new Army-camouflage gloves — that were made to order by an Australian company — does not have has improper webbing in accordance with the laws of the game. The issue came up after Dhoni dismissed Adam Gilchrist's innings with ball stuck in the leather connecting the thumb and index finger. Dhoni's new gloves seemed to have a little gap in between and not one piece of leather as is mandatory and Crowe asked Dhoni to change his gloves. The Indian skipper has been using these gloves since the match against Australia at Melbourne. Incidentally, Dhoni's other pair is also made by the same company, Brooks.It has been more than a month since the unsavoury incident in the Sydney Test but there’s no love lost yet between the two teams.
