India vs Australia 2017: No action to be taken against Steve Smith or Virat Kohli, says ICC

What’s the story?

The International Cricket Council has issued a statement stating that it would not take any action against Australian captain Steve Smith or his Indian counterpart, Virat Kohli, as they have confirmed that no charges have been laid against either player.

“We have just witnessed a magnificent game of Test cricket where players from both teams gave their all and emotions were running high during and after the match,” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said in the statement.

“We would encourage both teams to focus their energies on the third Test in Ranchi next week. Ahead of that, the match referee will bring both Captains together to remind them of their responsibilities to the game,” he further added.

The Details...

The fourth day of the second Test between India and Australia boiled over when Australian captain Steve Smith turned back towards his dressing room even as he mulled going for a review when he was trapped in front of the wickets by a Umesh Yadav delivery which kept low.

Smith consulted his partner Peter Handscomb and then promptly looked towards the dressing room for assistance. It was then that umpire Nigel Llong intervened even as Virat Kohli jumped onto the scene and issued a strong objection to the sequence of events. Smith was sent back and this turned the match towards India as the hosts romped home to a 75-run win.

The issue did not end here as the Indian captain launched a scathing attack on Smith and the Australian team during the post-match presser and stopped just short of calling them cheats.

The Indian team also lodged an official complaint, but the Australian board CEO defended his captain and termed all the allegations ‘outrageous’.

What's next?

This in many ways is an anti-climax to the sequence of events which transpired over the past two days as both camps were involved in a heated argument over the DRS fiasco as Australian coach Darren Lehmann too came out and defended his captain.

However, the Indian team and even the BCCI threw all its weight behind their skipper and the ball was firmly in the court of the ICC and this verdict would calm both sides.

Sportskeeda’s Take

The controversy in many ways took away the shine from a fascinating game of Test cricket and it also forced everyone to once again question the much-talked about spirit of the game concept.

However, with the ICC coming out and delivering a statement it could well help to close out the issue which would be in the best interests of the game. The series is alive and kicking and the 3^rd Test match in Ranchi promises to be one intriguing contest.