Aussie spectators don’t leave abuse at the gate

Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar greeted as "bloody grub" -- an Australian slang, used for a person who is unclean or who has messy habits.

Some Australian spectators are back at what they are really good at – calling others names.

Less than a week after hurling racist abuse in the third Test at Sydney, some spectators at the Gabba on Friday derisively described Indian bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar as "bloody grub."

'Grub', an Australian slang, is used for a person who is unclean or who has messy habits.

A report in Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) on Friday quoted a spectator as saying that speedster Siraj was repeatedly abused by vocal spectators in Section 215 and 216 of the stadium when he was fielding there. A video posted on twitter by the SMH reporter also shows spectators shouting out Siraj's name before calling out "you bloody grub".

According to the spectator quoted in the newspaper report, debutant off-spinner Sundar was also subjected to the same chat from the unruly section. It was a chant similar to that at the SCG.

Before the start of the final Test here on Friday, Australia captain Tim Paine had urged the Brisbane crowd to treat the visiting Indian team respectfully. But the Australian spectator apparently does not believe in leaving the abuse at the gate along with his other accessories. Indians, who lost the toss and were asked to field, will bat last and possibly chase a target on a fast and bouncy but dr y sur face that has spots from where certain deliveries rose steeply on the first day itself. Marnus Labuschagne was surprised on his personal score of 37 by a deliver y from Navdeep Saini that rose sharply from a spot and caught his bat's edge to fly to gully where India skipper Ajinkya Rahane dropped a simple chance.

He went on to score 71 more and complete his century in the process but was out by another delivery that rose steeply, this time from T Natarajan. Australian spinner Nathan Lyon's biggest complaint at the Sydney Cricket Ground wicket was that it did not break up enough and did not have bounce. However, this Gabba wicket has bounce and is likely to break up and offer cracks to the bowler.

The Gabba will tax the Indians not just because of the sur face but also because of the hot and humid weather. The Indians bowled 87 overs on the first day and have managed to pick up five wickets as the Aussies ended the first day at 274. Unless they wrap up the Aussies early on Day 2, they are in for more toil.