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KOCHI, India - Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist criticised the behaviour of some players during the second one-day international win over India on Wednesday.
Australia overcame injury woes and displayed all round strength to win by 84 runs and take a 1-0 lead after the first game in the seven-match series was abandoned due to rain.
However, the match was marred by verbal exchanges between players, with temperamental Indian paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth once again in the spotlight.
"I saw some really hard fought cricket," Gilchrist told a news conference. "There were some comments between different players and that happens.
"I also saw a few things that I wouldn't expect from my son Harrison in a backyard game of cricket.
"There is no doubt the way Sreesanth wants to play cricket. When we get our chance, we'll play aggressive cricket too."
Sreesanth clashed with Andrew Symonds and Brad Haddin, joint top scorers with 87, as they dominated the bowling.
Their war of words almost came to a fiery conclusion after the hometown hero got right in Brad Haddin's face in the 45th over after following the ball that Haddin hit a few metres down the pitch.
Symonds took great exception to the treatment of his batting partner and walked up to express his thoughts before the cheeky Kerala bowler threw the ball into the stumps at the non-striker's end.
It appeared Symonds might be in some strife but India's skipper Mahendra Dhoni came up and pushed Sreesanth away to calm down the situation.
Symonds and Sreesanth (3-67 off nine overs) continued to trade verbal barbs from a distance at the end of the over before the dancing fast-bowler had the last laugh.
He dismissed Symonds (87) for the second time in two matches, taking a return catch after Symonds skied an attempted pull shot off a slower ball.
The bowler celebrated with gusto and he and Symonds had one last exchange as the Australian walked off the field.
Harbhajan Singh and Michael Clarke also appeared to become involved in an exchange later when the Indian spinner was steered away by senior team mate Rahul Dravid.
Sreesanth has been fined a few times in the last year, the latest for excessive appealing during the semi-final win over Australia at last month's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
Indian skipper Mahendra Dhoni played down the behaviour of Sreesanth.
"Sreesanth was heated up but he's changed over the last six months," he said. "He was playing in front of his home crowd and got excited."
Gilchrist was delighted with the win after the washout.
"In two games in a row, we've responded and rebounded really well," he said. "The guys gave our bowlers something to defend, and I thought they executed really well."
- REUTERS
