India have continued their post-Test attack on Steve Smith, with offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin likening the Australia skipper's conduct to that expected at under-10 level.
Relations between the two sides frayed throughout an incredibly tense second Test, long before Indian skipper Virat Kohli accused the tourists of systematically rorting the Decision Review System (DRS) in a post-match tirade.
Smith incurred the wrath of Kohli and umpire Nigel Llong on day four in Bangalore, where he looked to Australia's change room while mulling whether to refer a lbw dismissal. A contrite Smith called it a "brain fade".
The saga escalated on Wednesday, when Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland dismissed Kohli's allegations as "outrageous".
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had little interest in backing down, instead releasing a video interview between Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara to risk further inflaming tensions.
"Steven Smith actually turned back and actually asked the dressing room if he could take a review," Ashwin said in the interview recorded at M Chinnaswamy Stadium following India's 75-run victory.
"That is completely unheard of. The last time I thought that would happen was in an under-10 game, when my coach used to suggest where point fielders and cover fielders used to stand.
"I've got a lot of respect for Steven Smith, but that was very, very surprising."
In last year's Indian Premier League, Ashwin played alongside Smith and Peter Handscomb, the non-striker who told his captain, illegally, to seek advice from the change room.
Pujara grins in the video while recalling one of the umpires' many attempts to regain control of a clash full of send-offs and run-ins.
"Pujji is not someone who generally says anything but, today, he got into a bit of trouble ... why did you get into trouble with Richard Illingworth?" Ashwin asked his teammate.
Pujara responded "they were talking a lot and probably sledging is something which, as a unit, we felt that we can give them back".
"They were always under pressure when they walk into bat. I wanted to make sure their batsmen are thinking about it," he added.
"Especially David Warner. Whenever he walks into bat, Ash is always happy. So I always keep reminding him that Ash is the one (bowler who has dismissed Warner more than any other in Tests)."
Ashwin, who removed Warner twice in a match haul of 8-125, boasted "when you have the edge on somebody and you have the sword on somebody, it just makes it that much easier".
"There was a lot of banter on the second day because we had to come back. We had to pump ourselves up," the top-ranked Test bowler said.
"They were having a lot of chat on the park when we were actually going out to bat and we were down (on day one).
"It's very easy to have a chat when you're down. I told Matt Renshaw when he was batting in the first innings that if they didn't score big, I'll have them for soup and dessert.
"I was very happy it happened."
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