MCG Spectators warned to cease racially motivated taunts

The spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Bay 13 stand have been warned to cease racially motivated taunts aimed at the Indian players and spectators

The spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Bay 13 stand have been warned to cease racially motivated taunts aimed at the Indian players and spectators during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Several complaints were made regarding the taunts in the first two days of the Test match.

According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, footage of a specific chant “show us your visa” was handed over to Cricket Australia and the they in turn passed it on to Victoria Police and stadium management.

“Victoria Police and stadium security are monitoring the behaviour of the crowd in that section of the stadium,” a CA spokesperson said, “and have had several discussions with those fans in that bay to remind them about appropriate crowd behaviour, as per venue entry terms and conditions.”

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was also at the receiving end of a derogatory chant, but Kohli managed to keep his cool and came up with a quirky a response.

India captain @imVkohli was greeted with the chant of “#Kohli is a wanker” by the MCG crowd.

His response… pic.twitter.com/YUTUh3woIy

— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) December 28, 2018

On day three, despite securing a whopping lead of 292 after Jasprit Bumrah took 6/33 to bowl out Australia for 151 in 66.5 overs on day three at the MCG, Virat Kohli chose not to enforce the follow-on on Friday.

By stumps on day three, India’s advantage had been extended to 346 but the decision to bat again, having already racked up a first-innings total of 443/7 declared from 169.4 overs, will elicit debate after India collapsed to 44/5 on an MCG surface with variable bounce.