Annoyed Virat Kohli shows middle finger to the SCG crowd

As if the bashing by Australian batsmen was not enough, the Indian team walked into more trouble with Virat Kohli, riled by an abusive group of spectators, stuck out his middle finger at his hecklers on the second day of the Sydney Test on Wednesday.

This could spiral into a controversy with an Australian newspaper The Age calling it 'Fingergate', reminding its readers of the infamous Monkeygate which happened at the same venue when the Indians last toured Down Under.

The action may invite the match referee's ire and Kohli could face disciplinary action for his gesture that came on a day when the hosts flayed the Indian bowling attack.

Kohli was on duty at the boundary-line for a long period of time and once even crashed into a television camera and the ground runners while trying to stop a Michael Clarke hit from crossing over the line.

The young player later defended himself on Twitter saying, "i agree cricketers don't have to retaliate. what when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. the worst I've heard (sic)".

Kohli soon received some support from England's Kevin Pietersen, also his IPL teammate in Royal Challengers Bangalore, and legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.

While Pietersen tweeted, "ha ha ha ha ha!!! Welcome to Australia buddy!!", Bachchan said, "Just ignore criticism... It's there so you can prove it wrong! you are great humans... We adore you! Play well we are with you."

Pietersen added, "never heard crap like that. EVER. that's the way it is mate.. Beat them & they start abusing their own!! #fickle"

If found guilty of "using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting", Kohli can be fined up to 50 per cent of his match fee under ICC's Code of Conduct.

It was not clear whether on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Ian Gould have reported the matter to Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle.