Mitchell Starc has been fined $7725 and cautioned by Steve Smith after pinging the ball at tailender Mark Craig in the first Test.

Match referee Roshan Mahanama docked Starc half of his playing fee after Australia’s 208-run win over New Zealand on Monday at the Gabba.

Starc’s anger bubbled to the surface when he was bowling during Craig and Trent Boult’s final-wicket partnership of 46 runs.

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Craig slapped a pair of boundaries then defended the ball back to Starc, who hurled it in the direction of the batsman.

Starc accepted the level-two sanction proposed by Mahanama, who punished the paceman for throwing the ball in a dangerous manner near Craig.

The left-armer was charged with a level-one breach of the International Cricket Council’s conduct earlier this year, when he gave India’s Murali Vijay a send-off at the SCG.

It means Starc risks a potential suspension if he falls foul of officials again in the ongoing three-Test series.

Smith has also put Starc on notice.

“I don’t think he needs to apologise. I just don’t think he needs to do it in the future,” Smith said.

“I don’t think it was necessary … there wasn’t an opportunity for a run-out there.

“It was just a bit of frustration and I think he just needs to let it out in other ways.

“It was pretty disappointing. He’s done it a few times and I’m going to have a word to him when we get back to the sheds.”

Smith’s approach was different at Lord’s earlier this year, when England’s Ben Stokes was given out obstructing the field in a one-day international.

Stokes was outside his crease after blocking a ball when Starc tried to throw down the stumps.

England skipper Eoin Morgan was furious that Smith didn’t withdraw the appeal, the 26-year-old Australian refusing to do so because Stokes was beyond his crease.

Brendon McCullum was highly critical of Smith on that occasion, noting in a column that he “missed a great opportunity to strike a blow for the spirit of cricket”.

On day five of the first Test, New Zealand’s captain was more understanding.

“I hoped he was trying to aim at the stumps and, if that’s the case and it just slipped out, then so be it,” McCullum said.

“We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt there. I’m sure we’ll find out once we have a beer in the changeroom.”

McCullum added the first Test was played “in really good spirits”.

“I’m sure the rest of the Tests will be as well,” he said.

– AAP