Meeting to soothe
India-Australia tension

Match referee Cammie Smith has called a meeting of Indian and Australia team officials to soothe tension between the sides, the Indian team manager said on Thursday.

The Test and one-day series between the two countries have been marred by incidents of sledging and dissent towards the umpires.

"The match referee has called for a meeting of coaches, managers and captains of both teams to sort things out," India manager Chetan Chauhan said.

"Besides cricket, there are other things going on. Directly or indirectly pressures are being mounted on Indian players and a lot of gesturing is taking place which is not in the best interests of the game," Chauhan added, though he declined to mention any specific incidents.

Chauhan said India did not want to complain in writing but the grievances had been communicated to West Indian Smith.

Australian opening batsman Michael Slater received a suspended one-match ban from Smith after an argument with India batsman Rahul Dravid and the umpires during the first Test in Bombay.

Paceman Glenn McGrath and Australia's vice-captain Adam Gilchrist were fined 50 per cent of their match fees for showing dissent during the first one-day match at Bangalore.

The two captains, Sourav Ganguly and Steve Waugh, were also involved in controversy over who won the toss in the third match at Indore.

"If they do it (sledging), it is gamesmanship. If I, we do it, it is misbehaviour," Ganguly said on Thursday.

The teams play a deciding fifth one-day match in Goa on Friday. India won the Test series 2-1.

The Aussie Tour of India

Mail Cricket Editor