Expect more animosity when series resumes
STEVE SMITH is not too worried about mental disintegration because India are starting to self-combust.
Australia will reclaim the BorderGavaskar trophy if they win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-test series.
Smith dealt with the standard trimmings in his pre-match press conference – Christmas presents, opposition analysis and captaincy conundrums.
Smith talked up India’s batsmen, revealed debutant Joe Burns will bat at No 6 and that fit-again paceman Ryan Harris will take Mitchell Starc’s place in the XI for Boxing Day.
But sledging, an issue that has swirled in an oft-heated series that has already featured four misconduct fines, drew the most forthright response.
‘‘Blokes like Davey [Warner] like to say a fair bit. Everyone’s different. I don’t really say too much,’’ Smith said.
‘‘At the moment, the Indians are doing that themselves. They’re doing a lot of whingeing and complaining among themselves. They’re doing it all for us.’’
Smith’s Indian counterpart, MS Dhoni, refused to bite back.
‘‘There haven’t been any formal complaints from our side so far,’’ Dhoni said, when told about Smith’s comments.
India were competitive in the opening two tests but drew criticism for the way they unravelled – on and off the field – on day four at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Team management issued a statement condemning the state of the training pitches at the venue, blaming them for blows suffered by Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan before play.
But former captain Sunil Gavaskar suggested India should not make the incident ‘‘an excuse’’.
Gavaskar also opined the tourists should tone down their ‘‘verbal spats’’ in the series but Dhoni confirmed that would not be happening.
And Warner vowed on Christmas Eve his ‘‘banter’’ would not stop any time soon.