Shastri outburst leads to complaint

A hiding in the fifth and final one-day international at the hands of AB de Villiers and co could yet land India's team director Ravi Shastri in hot water.

Shastri is the subject of a formal complaint from Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium pitch curator Sudhir Naik, who allegedly copped an earful of abuse for the surface that saw South Africa rack up 4-438.

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Shastri and India's bowling coach Bharat Arun allegedly swore at Naik and criticised him for producing a pitch that offered little for the bowlers.

Naik, who played three Tests and two ODIs for India, was also reported to have retorted back at Shastri as tempers flared into a heated exchange after South Africa racked up their record total.

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Kagiso Rabada later took 4-41 and Dale Steyn 3-38 as India were bundled out for 224 in just 36 overs, falling to a 214-run defeat.

"We have received a complaint from Naik alleging two members of India support staff getting involved in a heated exchange with the MCA curators after the Wankhede ODI," Mumbai Cricket Association joint secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar was reported as saying.

The Indian management was reported to have not given the Mumbai Cricket Association ground staff any direction on their preference of pitch – something that is unusual in Indian cricket. There is little doubt the Indian team would have wanted a spin-friendly surface rather than the true surface that saw Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and de Villiers all rack up centuries.

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India had fielded three frontline spinners and the trio went for 213 runs from their 28 overs, the surface rendering them toothless on the day.

When asked about the pitch during the post-match media conference, Dhoni blamed his bowler's lack of penetration to the surface.

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"If you see the wicket it was true batting wicket. Very good batting wicket. There was no turn to offer for the spinners," Dhoni told the media.

"You can swing the ball, but when wicket is flat actually we don’t hit them hard. Our strength is entirely different, we see everybody going for runs, the fast bowlers are gone for runs, and spinners are gone for runs,

"There is not really much for offer, that’s the reason when partnership has built up, it look difficult for us to stop boundaries. All most all the strategy we used to stop them from hitting the short pitch deliveries. But when wicket is such and that kind of partnership, you can’t do much."

Meanwhile, India's leg-spinner Amit Mishra has been arrested and bailed by the Banglaore police after being charged for an alleged assault following three hours of questioning on Tuesday.

Mishra has been charged under the Indian Penal Code sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) after a report filed by a female on October 20.

The 32-year-old spinner was reported by a female for an alleged incident in late September when the Indian team was in the city for a training camp ahead of the South Africa team's visit.

"Mishra was questioned for three hours from 11 am following which he was arrested and released on bail as it is a bailable offence," Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil said. A charge-sheet will now be prepared and produced in the court.

Film producer Vandana Jain claimed she had known the cricketer for three years and had gone to meet him at the hotel when he allegedly assaulted her with a kettle.

Mishra, who played in four of the five ODIs against South Africa, is a part of the Indian squad for the first two games of their Test series starting from November 5. He finished the ODI series with four wickets.