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Is the spirit of cricket a one-way street these days; one rule for India, another for other nations? I am referring to the controversy in the Tri-Nation series, especially the Australia-India match on the SCG on Sunday.
True, India’s performance in Australia this summer, with few exceptions, has been pathetic. But when it comes to spirit of cricket, they have been the best of the three sides.
Throw your mind back on the one-dayer between Sri Lanka and India last Tuesday at the Gabba.
Experts and journalists have not applauded India’s sporting spirit in withdrawing the appeal against Sri Lankan non-striking batsman Lahiru Thirimanne who was technically and legally run-out by India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Thirimanne left the crease before Ashwin delivered the ball. So Ashwin broke the stumps and looked at the umpire for a run out decision.
By the new law of cricket the non-striker Thirimanne was out but to avoid future controversy, the two on-field umpires asked Indian skipper Virender Sehwag whether he would like to withdraw the appeal, which he did. It was cricket played in the true spirit of the game.
Thirimanne survived. He was 44 and Sri Lanka 4-196. Thirimanne then and went on to top score with 62 as his country reached 289 and won.
Would Sri Lanka have reached this total and gone on to win if Thirimanne was given out in the 40th over?
I asked in my Roar post last Wednesday as to whether any other captain would have withdrawn the appeal as India did?
The answer came this Sunday in India’s match against Australia on the SCG. Sachin Tendulkar set off for a cheeky single, only to find bowler Brett Lee in his way, near the striker’s end, with his back to the non-striker’s end. Tendulkar didn’t make his ground.
According to the law, it is the batsman’s responsibility to run around the bowler; not the bowler’s to make way. The only way a batsman can get away with such a run-out is if the fielding side withdraws the appeal. Australia did not.
Technically, Tendulkar was out and the umpires were justified in declaring him out. But they neither asked Australia’s skipper Shane Watson to withdraw the appeal for the spirit of the game (as the umpires at Gabba had asked Sehwag) nor did the Australians call him back.
The supporters of the “Mankading” incident on the Gabba last week can well ask as to why the umpires on Sunday did not ask the fielding side to reconsider this appeal.
It seems there are two sets of rules; one for India and the other against India.
Thirimanne was out fair and square. However, Tendulkar could have made his ground if Lee was not in his way. This is not to suggest that Lee blocked Tendulkar deliberately. But knowing Lee is a true sportsman, he and his team should have recalled Sachin.
The spirit of the game did not prevail on the SCG this Sunday whereas it did in Gabba last week
A few hours before Tendulkar-Lee incident, David Hussey got the benefit of doubt when he perhaps unintentionally blocked a ball when going for a run. By the rules of the game he was out “obstructing the field”.
“Why have the rule in the game if you do not follow it?” Ian Chappell asked me in the SCG press box after this incident.
Have these incidents altered the result of these two do-or-die games for India?
We shall never know, but India is to be commended for honouring the spirit of the game at the Gabba and on the Ian Bell incident in the Trent Bridge Test against England last July.