Assam stone pelting incident: India reassures Australian team about their safety

NEW DELHI, Oct 12, 2017: India's sports minister on Wednesday sought to reassure Australian cricketers about their safety after a rock shattered a window on the bus taking them to their hotel following a series-levelling win in the second Twenty20 international.

The incident in Guwahati was the second in two months, after Cricket Australia said in September that the team's bus window was broken by a "small rock or stone" in Bangladesh after a Test match.

"Pretty scary having a rock thrown through the team bus window on the way back to the hotel!!," batsman Aaron Finch tweeted after the eight-wicket win against India.

Indian Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, an Olympic silver medallist in shooting, said there were tight security arrangements in place for the Australian team as well as for the players taking part in the Under-17 FIFA World Cup.

"Personal security of visiting athletes & teams is extremely important for us," he tweeted.

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"Guwahati stone-throwing incident NOT reflective of our security measures. Aus team & FIFA are content w/those. India remains a graceful host."

Two people have been arrested as police investigations into the incident continue.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister has condemned the incident and assured that strict actions will be taken against the culprits.

Cricket Australia's news site said no one was hurt when the window was broken by a rock roughly the size of a cricket ball, but the Australian players were "understandably shaken up". A CA spokesman said they were "satisfied with the levels of security provided".

Top Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said guests should be treated with respect and urged restraint from his countrymen.

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"The stone thrown at the Aussie team bus shows us in bad light, let's all act more responsibly. A vast majority of us are capable of that," he wrote on Twitter.

The final T20 game will be played in Hyderabad on Friday.

Agencies