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Australia v India Test series 2017: Steve Smith unloads foul-mouthed cheating accusation in fourth Test

Andrew Wu
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DHARAMSALA: Australian captain Steve Smith is embroiled in another cheating scandal only this time he is the one pointing the finger.

An angry Smith appeared to mouth the words "f------ cheat" after India's Murali Vijay had claimed a low catch which was later overturned by the video umpire.

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Smith's 'f------ cheat' outburst

Australian skipper Steve Smith is caught on camera mouthing the words 'f------ cheat' after India's Murali Vijay had claimed a low catch.

The Australian camp refused to weigh into what Smith said on Monday night but the visitors are now open to claims of double standards after Smith's foul-mouthed dressing room outburst.

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That it was shown by Star Sports is unlikely to endear the host broadcaster to the Australians, having aired a segment in the third Test which fuelled claims Smith had mocked Virat Kohli's shoulder injury.

The controversy comes weeks after the India captain accused Australia of systematically rorting the decision review system.

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Smith admitted at the time he had erred by consulting the dressing room but the Australians emphatically denied Kohli's claims, which have not been substantiated.

The Vijay incident was a line-ball call where even with the aid of close-up video angles it cannot be conclusively proven whether the fielder had gotten his fingers under the ball.

It is common for players in such situations to let the video umpire deliberate but Vijay rushed off the field to pad up in preparation to open India's innings.

Australia's batting coach Graeme Hick believed Vijay should have stayed until a final verdict was reached.

"Having fielded in slip or close to the bat myself sometimes you're not 100 per cent sure. He would have felt that go into his fingers and felt it was a clean catch," Hick said.

"Once the batter or whoever it may be is gone to the review than fair enough, maybe the fielders should stand around and wait.

"The process is in place. At times the series has been a little bit heated but I think this game has been played in very good spirit and he obviously thought he had a clean catch. It goes upstairs, come back and get on with the game."

Matthew Wade was earlier involved in a slanging match with India while batting, which forced both umpires to intervene.

The feisty gloveman had apparently taken exception to something said, approaching the Indian huddle as Glenn Maxwell departed the field. He was later in a row with Vijay.

Wade was also in the thick of the action during India's first innings when Ravindra Jadeja launched a rearguard in the lower order.

"You called me it. I just want to know what it is," Wade was heard saying on the stump effects mic said after Jadeja addressed him in Hindi.

"I just want to know what it is, hello?

"We're alright, I'll get a selfie with him at the end of the game. We'll put it on Instagram."

Jadeja said after play: "I was just telling Wade that we will meet and have dinner once you guys have lost the Test."

Australia 300 & 137

India 332 & 0/19