Hobart, Feb 25 The bitterness in the relationship between Indian and Australian cricketers has again crept in with the Indian team management today lodging a written complaint with the Match Referee about the provocative behaviour of the home team.

The Indians, whose tour of Australia have been marked by a racism row and a series of on-field altercations, have threatened to take a "befitting action" if Ricky Ponting and his men persisted with such behaviour.

"We have written to the Match Referee Jeff Crowe and we will take a befitting action if it continued" Indian team manager Vimal Soni said.

Young fast bowler Ishant Sharma this morning was docked 15 per cent of his match fee for finger-pointing a departing, abrasive Andrew Symonds from the middle in yesterday's tri-series game in Sydney.

It led the Indians to draft a strongly-worded letter to Crowe in which they have mentioned specific incidents of "provocation" by the Australians.

"We accept the match referee's decision for Ishant to have transgressed the Level 1.6 ICC Code of Conduct," Soni said, adding "we also wanted him to have a look at the provocation which Australians have been repeatedly providing in the series." "Much has happened in recent past and we didn't want to open up old wounds by making a complaint against the Australians. But we have mentioned specific incidents in the letter to match referee," he said. (Agencies)