SCG security has evicted three fans from the ground after England's unbeaten batters were subjected to verbals during Friday's tea break.
Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow clearly took exception to something that was said as they were about to enter the visitors' dressing room. Stokes stared down a member of the crowd, while Bairstow fired back in response to the barb.
It's believed three spectators were asked to leave the venue soon after, with guards confident they tracked down the trio that sprayed the tourists. The incident comes one year after India paceman Mohammed Siraj, then fielding on the rope, halted play at the same venue to report racial abuse.
Six spectators were removed from the ground on that occasion. Cricket Australia (CA) conducted an investigation of the Siraj episode with NSW Police, clearing the six fans of racially abusing Siraj during the Test.
However, CA also made it clear while releasing the result of the probe that "members of the Indian cricket team were subjected to racial abuse".
Stokes kept his cool throughout Friday's exchange, in sharp contrast to a 2020 altercation with a fan in the stands that came during a Test in Johannesburg.
Stokes raged on that occasion, barking "come and say it to me outside the ground". The allrounder was fined 15 per cent of his match fee after that stoush.
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