Australia coach opines ICC endorsed India’s ‘intimidation’ of Sam Konstas at Sydney: ‘the benchmark we’re playing’

India and Australia are playing their last Test at Sydney in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy and one batter who has heated up the atmosphere is 19-year-old Australian opener Sam Konstas.

With Konstas poking nose to Indian players didn't fare him well and ICC match referee Andy Pycroft not laying charges after Indian fielders swarming him following Usman Khawaja's wicket late on DAY 1 in Sydney, Australia coach Andrew McDonald has claimed that the International Cricket Council has all but endorsed the visitors' "intimidation" of the teenage opener, reported cricket.com.au on 4 January.

In an attempt to stick up for Usman Khawaja, Konstas had enraged Bumrah after directing some aggressive words towards Indian skipper and ace bowler.

But after the dismissal of Khwaja on DAY 1, Jasprit Bumrah angrily rounded on Konstas at the non-striker's end, followed by Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna and the entire Indian cricket team.

On conversation with Konstas:

Answering a question on the conversation McDonald had with Konstas, the Australian coach said, as the website quoted, "My conversation to him (Konstas) was just around whether he's okay. Clearly, the way that India celebrated was quite intimidating."

"It's clearly within the Laws of the Game, within the rules and regulations – there's been no charges laid. But to have an opposition obviously swarm the non-striker like that – we've got a duty care to our player to make sure he's okay and in a head space to go out the next day and perform. So that's all those conversations were," he added.

McDonald left the decision on ICC match referee Andy Pycroft who levelled the fine on Kohli in Melbourne.

"It's clear that it's acceptable because there were no fines or punishments. I'll leave that up to the ICC and obviously Andy Pycroft being the match referee and the umpires out there. If they thought that it was satisfactory, then I suppose that's the benchmark we're playing amongst," McDonald said.

What Ricky Pointing said?

Former Australian Test captain Ricky Ponting are among the ones to question whether Konstas should have gotten involved in Bumrah's beef with Khawaja in the first place.

"One guy you don't want to upset is Jasprit Bumrah," Ponting told Channel Seven on Saturday, adding, "The way he's bowled and the fact he has got Khawaja out five times in the series, I didn't like Konstas getting involved. "

"That was not his battle to fight. It was between Khawaja and Bumrah. For the young man there, I hope that there was some talking to from the Australian dressing room last night because he should have stayed out of that, let his senior player handle the last couple of balls," he concluded.

Prasidh Krishna's reply to Konstas fiasco:

Prasidh Krishna, who was closest to Konstas during the tense exchange with Bumrah, appeared to have words with Konstas after the Australian's fiery exchange with Bumrah.

On being asked if Konstas had gotten under India's skin, the bowler said: "I don’t think so. Not yet. We enjoy the way that he plays the game and we would also like to play the game aggressively."

"Like if we have somebody who comes out and says, 'I can fight you,' it's as a team we want to tell them, 'you can't take us for granted, we are all here, the eleven of us versus you'. If you can be as aggressive, that's fine," he concluded.

Jaiswal vs Konstas:

Meanwhile, a video appeared of DAY 2 of match when Yashasvi Jasiwal directly was vocal to Konstas and asked the latter if he is able to make runs or not.

Yashasvi asked Konstas in Hindi and it was caught by a stump mic, “Oye Kontas, shot nai lagg rahe kya abhi?”

India vs Australia, 5th Test:

In the 5th Test at Sydney, India have scored 141/6 in 32 overs on DAY 2 in their second innings, and have a lead of 145 runs.

Earlier, Australia were all out at 181 runs in their first innings while chasing India's 185 runs.