Cricket-ICC decide against taking action on Smith or Kohli

March 8 (Reuters) - Australia captain Steve Smith and his India counterpart Virat Kohli have escaped any charges after a controversial Decision Review System (DRS) incident in this week's Bengaluru test, the International Cricket Council said on Wednesday.

Kohli accused Smith of 'crossing the line' on Tuesday when he was given out leg before wicket but looked towards the players' area in the stands as he mulled over whether to ask for a review of the umpire's decision using DRS.

Players are not allowed to seek direction on reviews apart from conferring with the non-striker. Neither team can make more than two unsuccessful review requests per 80 overs.

Smith said it was a one-off incident caused by "brain fade" but Kohli countered that it was not the first time it had happened and that he had complained to the match officials.

"In relation to Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, the ICC has considered both incidents in the context of this match and concluded it will be taking no further action against either player," the governing body said in a statement.

The third test between the teams starts in Ranchi on March 16 with the series level at 1-1.

"Ahead of (the third test), the match referee will bring both captains together to remind them of their responsibilities to the game," ICC chief executive David Richardson said. (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Ken Ferris)