Agency

SYDNEY, Mar 3: Harbhajan Singh is in the thick of controversy once again. According to Sydney Morning Herald , Bhajji, who has been subjected to continuous taunts from Aussie spectators through the triseries, made monkey gestures at the SCG crowd on Sunday, scratching his armpits with both hands and spitting in the direction of mocking spectators.

The Indian team management denied he made such gestures. Match referee Jeff Crowe will investigate.

A spectator said Harbhajan spat back towards the Sydney Cricket Ground crowd after they called him "a wanker".

"He definitely made the monkey gestures and he spat towards us. It was a bit disgraceful really, especially after what happened here in the Test match (the allegation of racist slur by Harbhajan towards Andrew Symonds). Craig Woodbury, a spectator in the Bill O'Reilly stand, told the newspaper.

"There are a lot of young people sitting here and it was inappropriate. He is a role model to a lot of people. If he wants respect he has to treat others with respect. He is always going to cop it from the crowd but he is a professional sportsman and he has got to expect that."

Today's alleged incident occurred about 10 minutes after Harbhajan dismissed opener Matthew Hayden, who called him an "obnoxious little weed" on radio.