Australia has been warned that umpires will no longer tolerate its aggressive onfield behaviour after Brett Lee was found guilty of dissent and Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne both spoken to at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday.
On a heated day two of the third Test, where umpires Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar took a defiant stand against Australia's supposed bully-boy tactics, fiery fast bowler Lee was given a severe reprimand by match referee Chris Broad for "showing dissent at the umpire's decision by action or verbal abuse".
It came after Lee expressed his dismay at a failed leg before appeal against century-maker Jacques Kallis on Monday.
Bowden and Dar also had words with McGrath and Australia captain Ricky Ponting during the morning session as the home strove for a breakthrough, while Bowden later spoke to Warne after rejecting one of his appeals.
Despite constant criticism from opponents and warnings from officials that it was pushing the boundaries, Australia has appealed with its usual urgency and volume.
The players have had more than a dozen vigorous appeals knocked back so far in the match.
Kallis, who notched his second century against Australia in some discomfort with an elbow injury, sensed the home side was frustrated.
"Spending two days in the field you can get a bit tired," he said.
"They probably were frustrated they didn't knock us over.
"I don't think it was anything out of the ordinary.
"Both sides are playing the game as hard as they can."
Australia coach John Buchanan rejected claims that his side had been appealing more vigorously than normal.
"If you have evidence to show that, I would be interested to see it in terms of comparing it to other days," he said.
"There would be many other instances in a day where things have gone well that we certainly appeal and try and gain the umpires' approval.
"In a game like this, it's a third Test, there is a series levelling or a 2-0 (result) on the line, we are trying as hard as we can to get our noses in front."
Buchanan said he had no reason to ask Ponting what had gone on in his discussions with the umpires.
"I haven't asked him and I don't think there is any need to ask him, and really around the dressing room I haven't heard anything untoward," he said.
"I can only assume from that he was asking for clarification over certain points."
Lee crossed the line in the 27th over on Monday when he was bowling to Kallis and Graeme Smith.
He was confident he had trapped Kallis leg before but was dismayed when Dar failed to raise his finger.
The pair exchanged words after the incident and again at the end of the over.
"Why is it not out? I'm asking for a reason," Lee was heard to say through the stump microphones.
"Please, it's not out, not out, that's all," Dar replied on one occasion before walking away from the bowler.
Kallis said the Proteas had the mental resolve to inflict further damage after letting the hosts off the hook in the first and second Tests.
"We have put ourselves in a good position now. It is just a matter of following through," he said.
- JON PIERIK