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I asked in my Roar post last Wednesday as to whether any other captain would have withdrawn the appeal as India did?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.
Bayman
Guest
rvn, On the four which became a six I don't think Kapil needed to agree - he just needed to be told by the umpires that the score had changed. It was, after all, a six not a four. As for the "tied" ODI what did you expect Jayawardene to say. The rules don't allow for another ball to be bowled and who knows what India may have done with it had it been bowled at the time. At that time India, or Sri Lanka, were not to know that a single ball might be so crucial. There were plenty of dot balls during the innings.
Bayman
Guest
Viscount, Would that be the same magnificent Mr Strauss who claimed a decidedly dodgy catch off Phil Hughes during the 2009 Ashes series - or his less magnificent twin brother? On his home ground and against a former teammate no less. Must have been the evil twin.
Bayman
Guest
Kersi, Steady mate - it was a great win on a road and Sehwag still hasn't passed 30. It was interesting that the win was made by the future of Indian cricket and not the past. I don't think Sachin will include his final shot in any highlight reel. Kohli was fantastic and Ghambir and Raina were great supports. It was probably the second best win ever - after South Africa's 438 chasing Australia's 434 a few years ago. However, let's not call the competition off just yet. One swallow does not make a summer and one win does not make India unbeatable. At least they won a game without Dhoni having to carry them - or even bat! Let's just wait and see - but at least the Indian fans have finally had something to cheer about.
Bayman
Guest
Anil, In a word - rubbish! I can only assume you have your tongue firmly in your cheek. I am quite sure the late Vinay would have called this summer as it was: India not good enough and Sachin just too slow.
Bayman
Guest
Sheek, The good doctor also got more in "expenses" than most of the professionals did in match payments.
Bayman
Guest
Sheek, I believe the England player was Fred Titmus.
Bayman
Guest
Yes, Thank you kindrob for the videos - that clearly shows Tendulkar is out comfortably and would still have been out comfortably even without Lee in front of him. It also shows Tendulkar had plenty of time to observe Lee and, further, it shows Tendulkar was not particularly hindered by Lee - especially given he was out by metres.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
I agree with you Australian Rules. About time Indian cricket board BCCI adopts DRS. When technology is there why not use it?
Australian Rules
Guest
The irony kindrob, is that the Indians refused to use DRS and then spent every post-match conference complaining about the umpiring decisions.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Thank you, kindrob, for the videos.
kindrob
Guest
And what about this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nofkoClevE&feature=related . its your day to bark, since India had not been doing good...but then u also need to understand that u need to point the same finger at your players first for the same thing u r doin now at Indian players!
kindrob
Guest
ha ha...and no probs when Punter was having a show off with the umpires? No shakedown was needed? And maybe u need to see this clip again and say whether Brett was clearly in Sachin's path or not..if he wasnt, then whether Sachin would have made the ground: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81ZXnAte11I&feature=related
kindrob
Guest
Sachin should have chosen another line to run? Maybe its time u take a look at the dismissal..Brett was running to his own fielder for what? And why did he stood his ground midway watching the stumps even before ball was thrown by the fielder? His stance just made Sachin to avoid him on his way and thus loosing his momentum. It was very clear that Brett did that on purpose. One cannot support Brett for that, nor question Sachin's spirit there while not questioning Brett's! Quite an irony that u talk about sachin's spirit. How many Aus bats have walked without protest against an umpire's decision? Again, irony isnt hard to spot when one mentions that they need DRS, but still says one should go by the umpire's decision!
rvn_mu_epl
Guest
It's also worth a mention how Dhoni publicly chose not to make a fuss of the five ball over in the tied match against Sri Lanka. That one ball will ultimately prove significant, given how closely the two teams are tied now. Considering the game ended in a tie, the extra ball would have benefited India and not Sri Lanka. The D/L method should have been applied and the victory should have been India's. I remember Kapil Dev as india's captain agreeing to revise the scores against Australia after the match and subsequently hand them the victory after one of their boundaries had been signalled as a four instead of a six. In contrast, what did Mahela Jayawardene come up with in his post match press conference - 'I m not complaining!' So much for the spirit of cricket! P.S. To those repeatedly citing Sreesanth, he's an exception! In certain teams, such players are the norm!
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Astounding performance by Team India, the nation should be proud :)
Nathan of Perth
Guest
I likewise wonder how most of our pollies, bankers, miners and CEOs escape summary throttleation, for that matter.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Fired up by the negative comments in the Australian dailies after the controversial Sydney debacle, the Indian team silenced all her critics in Hobart tonight by playing one of the finest innings in the history of ODIs. Full credit to Kohli, Gambhir and Raina but what a start by the much-maligned Sehwag and Tendulkar! For once in Australia, India played like ODI World Cup champions. WHAT A VICTORY, smashing 321 runs in 37 odd overs! Australia is advised to lose the game to Sri Lanka on the MCG on 2 March so that they meet SL and not the fired up India in the Final series.
sheek
Guest
He was a man of the hippocratic oath (doctor) & a gentleman (played sport for enjoyment, not money) as well as being a member of the upper echelons of British society. Apparently, he was judged by an entirely different moral code to the rest of the riff-raff. Much like our pollies, bankers, miners & most CEOs & board members today, don't you think..........!!!
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Well yes, M-Rod, Lee would take off when he realises that the batsmen are in fact RUNNING their little kamikaze single and fielding the ball becomes hugely important and, I should hope, a reflex action. That he was headed directly towards the ball and stopped only as Warner began to field it makes it harder to prove wilfulness. I can easily see why the umpire would be more comfortable giving it out rather than ending up in the mire where he has to, as a consequence of giving Tendulkar not out owing to obstruction, assess penalty runs, inform both captains and refer Lee to further disciplinary action. Wilful obstruction requires a far more clear-cut case, i.e., Lee moving in a direction that the ball was NOT.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
"Way, way back in the 1880s the good Dr.Grace would refuse to walk if dismissed early. As he told the bowlers, “the crowd has come to see me bat”." How that man avoided being summarily throttled by all onlookers I shall never know.