Cricket: Australian fans in hot water over alleged racially-charged taunts towards Indian cricketers

Virat Kohli gestures to the crowd at the MCG during the Boxing Day test against Australia. Photo / Getty Images

Fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground have been reported to the police after a series of offensive taunts directed at Indian cricket players were heard from the iconic stadium's Bay 13.

ESPN Cricinfo reported chants of "show us your visa" were heard from spectators over the course of the first two days.

Indian captain Virat Kohli copped a particularly severe barrage from the crowd as chants of "Kohli's a w*****" echoed around the ground while India were in the field.

The skipper didn't seem to mind, though, tipping his hat and bowing to his admirers in a show of dominance as his seamers ran riot.

"Victoria Police and stadium security are monitoring the behaviour of the crowd in that section of the stadium," a CA spokesman told ESPN Cricinfo. "(They) have had several discussions with those fans in that bay to remind them about appropriate crowd behaviour, as per venue entry terms and conditions."

Players have received a particularly harsh reception from the crowd this year. Mitchell Marsh was booed on day one after replacing Victorian batsman Peter Handscomb in a display Mark Waugh described as "disgraceful".

An incredible 15 wickets fell on day three of the Boxing Day test yesterday as India well and truly stamped their foot down on Australia's throat.

The visitors reduced Australia to 151 as Jasprit Bumrah ran amok with the ball, finishing with figures of 6-33. Not one of the home side's batsmen could make it into the thirties as another collapse skittled them 292 short of India's first innings total.

A sensational fightback from Pat Cummins saw the Sydney product claim 4-4 in a stunning spell which found him on a hat-trick, dismissing first innings centurions Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in identical fashion — caught at leg gully — within two balls of each other.

But it wasn't enough to ease the pressure on the Aussies, who remain 346 runs behind India going into the fourth day.