This was not the first time that Steve Smith and the Australian team resorted to unfair measures in a Test match to gain advantage over their opponents.
The cricketing world watched with horror as Australia captain Steve Smith admitted that his side deliberately tried to tamper with the condition of the ball on the third day of the third Test against South Africa at Newlands on Saturday in an orchestrated attempt to gain an advantage.
Australia opener Cameron Bancroft has been charged by the International Cricket Council and Smith later told reporters that it was a deliberate plan from the "leadership group" of the side.
"The leadership group knew about it, we spoke about it at lunch," Smith told a news conference.
"I am not proud of what has happened. It’s not in the spirit of the game, my integrity and the integrity of the team has been damaged and rightfully so. It’s not on and it won’t happen again, I can promise you."
Bancroft was spoken to by the umpires on the field regarding an object that television footage appeared to show him take out of his pocket before shining the ball.
He was then shown putting the object down the front of his trousers before speaking to the on-field officials Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth.
The incident snowballed into a huge controversy as Smith and David Warner stood down as captain and vice-captain respectively for the remainder of the ongoing second Test.
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was appointed as the stand-in skipper.
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said: "Following discussions with Steve Smith and David Warner they have agreed to stand down as Captain and Vice-Captain respectively for the remainder of this Test match.
"This Test match needs to proceed, and in the interim we will continue to investigate this matter with the urgency that it demands. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also called the incident a "shocking disappointment".
"We all work up this morning shocked and bitterly disappointed by the news from South Africa," Turnbull said adding, "It seemed completely beyond belief that the Australian cricket team had been involved in cheating."
He further said, "I've spoken with David Peever, the Chairman of Cricket Australia, a few moments ago and I've expressed to him very clearly and unequivocally my disappointment and my concern about the events in South Africa."
"It's their responsibility to deal with it, but I have to say that (to) the whole nation, who holds those who wear the Baggy Green up on a pedestal, about as high as you can get in Australia this is a shocking disappointment. It's wrong, and I look forward to Cricket Australia taking decisive action soon," Turnbull added.
But this was not the first time that Smith and the Australian team resorted to unfair measures in a Test match to gain advantage over their opponents.
Around a year ago, Smith was caught red-handed seeking the dressing room's help on a DRS call after he was given out leg before wicket, in the second Test against India in Bengaluru in March last year.
Smith admitted that he made a mistake by seeking help from the dressing room on a DRS call but the Australia captain insisted that the game was played in good spirit.
The incident has snowballed into a controversy with many former players criticising Smith's act.
Explaining the incident, Smith said there was a bit of brain fade when he turned to dressing room for help.
"I got hit on the pad and looked towards the non-striker and then turned around towards Paddy. I should not have done that. This happened for the first time. I was looking at our boys, I should not have done that. There was a bit of brain fade," Smith said at the press conference at the end of day.
But India captain Virat Kohli was in no mood to forgive as he virtually accused the Australia captain Smith of cheating.
"We have been inconsistent with the DRS but we take our decisions on the field, we don't ask for confirmation from the dressing room," a sarcastic Kohli let it rip after India's 75-run win in the second Test in Bengaluru, in March last year.
“There is a line that you don't cross on the cricket field, sledging and playing against the opponent is different.
"I have seen it twice while batting. I have seen their players looking upstairs (dressing room). I told the umpires, this had to stop. I don't want to mention the word but it falls in that bracket. I would never do something like that on the cricket field," he added.
Asked if he was accusing the Australian team of cheating, Kohli retorted, "I have not said that either."
It was the 21st over of the Australian second innings, when they collapsed to 112.
Smith was trapped leg before wicket by pacer Umesh Yadav, and having already blown a DRS call involving David Warner the Australians were in a fix about another referral.
Smith first turned to the non-striker's end to seek an opinion within the mandated 15 seconds.
But sparks flew when the umpires noticed that the batsman had turned towards the dressing room.
The on-field officials immediately intervened to stop Smith but matters came to a head when Kohli too joined the discussion, leading to an exchange between him and the rival captain.
Rules pertaining to the usage of DRS clearly state that "signals from dressing room must not be given".
In the post-match press conference, Smith sought to douse the fire, calling his actions a "brain fade" and something he shouldn't have done.
But Kohli was in no mood to relent and claimed that this was not the first time the Australians had sought dressing room instructions on DRS calls.
"I can only say, if it happens more than twice, it's not brain fade," he said.
After the four-match series, Smith apologised for letting his "emotions slip" during the aggressively-contested but lost Test series against India, saying that he was in his "own bubble" at times.
"At times I have been in my own bubble and have let my emotions slip. I apologise for that," Smith said at the end of the four-match series, which India won 2-1 to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
