Fans were ejected from the SCG on day 4 of the third test between Australia and India after Indian pacemen Mohammed Siraj pointed out the fans while fielding at fine leg.
The claims by Siraj come only a day after the Indian team made complaints about abuse being faced by their players whilst fielding near the crowd.
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has alleged that the abuse faced by Siraj was racially motivated.
"This is my fourth tour to Australia and Sydney, especially here, we've had a few experiences in the past," Ashwin told a media conference after play on day 4.
"I think one or two times the (India) players have reacted and got into trouble, and that's not because of the player it's been because of the way the crowd has been speaking, especially the people on the lower tier of the stands.
"They have been quite nasty, they have been hurling abuse as well.
The frustration on Mohammad Siraj's face told the whole story how he was feeling. Kudos to Ajinkya Rahane for immediately stopping the play and complaining to authorities, also Tim Paine supported well. pic.twitter.com/kuTMzstEDl
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 10, 2021
"But this time they've actually gone up step higher and used racial abuse, and there was an official complaint that we lodged yesterday and the umpires also mentioned that we must bring it to their notice as it happens on the field.
"Then they will be able to take action.
"It is definitely not acceptable in this day and age where we've evolved as a society and I think sometimes this roots back to the upbringing and the way one sees.
"Adelaide and Melbourne wasn't as bad, but this has been a continual thing at Sydney. I have personally experienced it as well. They do tend to get nasty, I don't know why or for what reason.
"I was quite surprised that some sections of the crowd continuously did it and there was not mates around them that pulled them up for it.
Siraj was clearly upset by the incident when he walked in from the boundary to make the on-field match officials aware of the abuse.
Play was halted for almost ten minutes as match officials worked with stadium security and New South Wales Police to identify the culprits.
The fans were eventually asked to leave their seats and subsequently the stadium, however the case may not be as clear cut as that.
Witnesses from around those fans removed from the ground have said that the fans had not racially abused Siraj.
Spectator Rishi Aryan, who was seated in the same bay, told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday: “All these boys were doing is a bit of sledging of the player on the outfield. First it was Bumrah then they had a sledge against Siraj. They kept calling him Shiraz and all that crap. Next thing you know they said: ‘Welcome to Sydney, Siraj’ and then he got the shits. That was literally it. Then he walked off.
“I don’t know why [the police kicked the men out]. Next thing you know you see police everywhere. It didn’t make sense. It was confusing.”
