The officials had a word with the Indian team but no ICC code of conduct charges were filed for their conduct after DRS reprieved Dean Elgar at Newlands.
The Indian team escaped sanctions after the DRS drama at Newlands, where Virat Kohli and co. could be heard making all kinds of allegations through stump mic. It is understood that ICC match official Andy Pycroft cautioned the Indian team about their conduct but no official charges were filed against any player.
The incident took place in the final session of third day at Newlands, when the Proteas skipper Dean Elgar was given out leg before off Ravichandran Ashwin’s bowling.
Elgar took his time and sent it upstairs for a DRS review. The ball tracking by Hawkeye showed the ball going over the stumps and it led to a prolonged outburst by Indian players on the field.
Indian captain Kohli was visibly infuriated and was seen going up to the stump mic and targeting the official broadcaster SuperSport, saying:
“Focus on your team while they shine the ball. Not just the opposition. Trying to catch people all the time.”
Ashwin also lashed out at the broadcasters saying:
“You should find better ways to win, SuperSport.”
KL Rahul chimed in with:
“It’s the whole country against 11 guys.”
Pycroft is understood to have cautioned the Indian team management that the players’ conduct was uncalled for and could attract charges if repeated. Apparently, Indians escaped the charges because there is no ICC clause for criticism of the broadcaster or technology.
Kohli, when asked about the DRS incident in the post-match conference, said that he wouldn’t comment on what the stump mic picked up but asserted his team did not get carried away.
“We understood what happened on the field, and people on the outside don’t know exact details of what goes on in the field, so for me to try and justify what we did on the field and say we got carried away is wrong,”
If we had gotten charged up and picked up three wickets there, that would have probably been the moment that changed the game,”
Kohli said.
Elgar was reprieved in the 21st over when South Africa’s score read 60 for one, chasing 212. India were rattled after the incident and it could be seen on the field as they conceded 35 runs in the next six overs. Elgar was eventually dismissed in the last over of the day, strangled down the leg by Jasprit Bumrah.
Keegan Petersen played an outstanding knock of 82 to help the team chase down the target and win the three-match Test series 2-1. He was awarded the ‘Player of the match’ as well as the ‘player of the series’ for his contribution.
