Monkeygate 2.0 At SCG: Indian Fans Hurled Racist Chants By Unsporting Aussie Crowd

New Delhi: Controversies are not new to cricket when it comes to the India-Australia series.  In the latest episode at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a section of the Australian fans were seen chanting racist slurs towards the Indian supporters. 'Where is your VISA? Where is your VISA?', a section of the Aussie crowd is seen chanting while the match was underway at the SCG.  But again, this is not the first time we have seen such scenes Down Under. Who can forget the Aussie pacer Glenn McGrath giving Sachin Tendulkar a mouthful? Or the infamous Monkeygate, where the former Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds made racism allegations against Harbhajan Singh almost bringing an entire tour into jeopardy and Peter Roebuck asking for Ricky Ponting to step down.

However, the latest incident of hurling racist chants against the Indian crowd and fans is new and has upset the sports lovers across the globe. Not a gentleman's game and is against the spirit of sportsmanship - several netizens wrote on social media platforms voicing strong concern. 

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Some Indian fans at the SCG were also upset over the avoidable mocking of Virat Kohli as, according to them, Aussies have more to say about Indian cricket than their own, be it good or bad.

These Aussie fans were saying such things in a melodious manner and that has surprisingly gone viral. The game is still ongoing despite the racist threat. Let us give you a look of the video. 

Aussie fans chant racist slur against Indians: VIDEO

SIRAJ SUBJECT TO RACIAL SLUR

India pacer Mohammed Siraj also faced the brunt of racism in Australia. In his maiden overseas tour, Siraj was subject to racism. While the identity of the perpetrators during that incident remains unknown, a group of men were escorted from the stands by police as play was held up for eight minutes after Siraj complained. Later, Cricket Australia confirmed that an incident of such kind had happened. 

What Happened During 2007-08 Monkeygate

This too happened at the iconic SCG. The controversy arose during the second Test match in Sydney when former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was accused by Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds of allegedly calling him a "monkey" during an on-field altercation. The Indian team and Harbhajan Singh denied the accusation, and the issue escalated into a significant diplomatic row between the two cricketing nations.

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Late cricket writer Peter Roebuck was highly critical of the Australian cricket team's behavior during the series, particularly their approach to sportsmanship. He described their win-at-all-costs attitude as detrimental to the spirit of the game.

Roebuck also expressed serious doubt about the validity of the racial abuse claims against Harbhajan, questioning whether the accusation was substantiated enough to warrant such a major controversy.

Roebuck also famously called for the sacking of Australian captain Ricky Ponting in the aftermath of the Sydney Test, stating that his leadership had failed to uphold the dignity and values associated with cricket.

Monkeygate brought fore to light the cultural and racial tensions in international cricket, prompting the ICC to re-evaluate its protocols for handling such disputes.

The scandal eventually led to Harbhajan Singh being initially handed a three-match ban, which was overturned on appeal due to a lack of evidence as the Australian team were criticised for their conduct.