R Ashwin lauds Indian fan Krishna Kumar for public comments on racial abuse at the SCG

Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (R Ashwin) recently reached out to a fan who shared his story about getting racially abused at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The fan in contention, Krishna Kumar, attended the iconic venue to watch the third Test between India and Australia. While speaking with CNN Sport, Kumar opened up about his experience at the SCG and revealed how things got “really ugly” on Day 3 of an otherwise gripping Test match.

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Fan comments about getting racially abused at SCG

Krishna Kumar said that he heard chants of “curry munchers” directed at Indian fans as well as the visiting players. He also recalled moments when he was asked to “stop waving” his flag. Kumar, who is a well-travelled cricket fan, claimed that he has never experienced any form of racism before while attending sporting events. He furhter claimed that his complaint wasn't even heard or taken seriously by authorities and that the locals considered their heckling as 'casual', which is why he decided to break the ice by actually buying alcohol for those hecklers and taking pictures with them.

R Ashwin, who recently revealed that SCG fans have had a history of abusing Indian teams, reached out to Krishna Kumar after reading his story. The Indian off-spinner took to Twitter and praised Kumar’s bravery in speaking about his experiences at the venue. Here is a look at R Ashwin’s appreciation for the Indian fan.

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Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj racial abuse

The Indian team lodged an official complaint after the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground racially abused their frontline pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj on second and third days of the India vs Australia third Test match. Visiting skipper Ajinkya Rahane brought the same to umpires’ notice, thus bringing the game to a halt for a few minutes.

While the matter was brought up with the International Cricket Council (ICC) match officials and the security officers at the SCG immediately after the game, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed their anger with the turn of events.

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India vs Australia 4th Test 2021

After the Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj racial abuse incident, the series went ahead with the deciding Test match at The Gabba. While Bumrah was ruled out due to an injury, Siraj claimed a five-fer to bundle out Australia for 294 in their second innings. Indian batsmen Rishabh Pant (89*), Shubman Gill (91) and Cheteshwar Pujara (56) became headline acts for the visitors on Day 5, helping their side to overhaul a stiff Day 5 target en route to claiming the game and the series by a 2-1 margin.

Highlights from Day 5 of India vs Australia 4th Test 2021, watch video

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Image source: AP and Krishna Kumar Instagram