So called "Spirit of The Game"

Did Dhoni take the right decision to reverse his run out appeal against Bell..?  Third test is around the corner but still the memories of that incident are not forgotten.  What influenced Dhoni to reverse his appeal is not the question of debate.. But had the same thing  happened with India 90% of critics &  former player would have blamed  the player for his casual behavior  & lack of basic knowledge of  the rules of the cricket.

Technically speaking  Bell was out as the umpire declared him rightly & England as well as Bell should have accepted this  & resumed the play. David Lloyad the former umpire, cricket player & commentator  wonderfully explained the rules, & the player’s mistake in this particular incident. If we are speaking about  the spirit of the game  then where it was when the same Ian Bell threw few  pieces of jellies on the pitch when Zaheer came to bat in 2006 series, Matt Prior of England claimed that Johnson was bowled despite the fact that he removed the bails with the hand against Australia ,  Andrew Strauss claiming the bump catch in Ashes series,  In 1999 series  Sachin collided with  the bowler & was just short of the ground  when the ball hit the stumps during taking third run,  Akram didn’t reversed his appeal. Many incidents area associated with Australia the great cheaters of the game –

Trevor Chappel bowling underarm against Newzeland,  Steve Waugh pretending to claim the catch when it was clear that he fumbled & took it on one bounce in 1985 World Championship series, the famous Sydney Test of 2008  series against India & Australia, Ian Healy deliberately clipped the bells by hand &  successfully appealed for the hit wicket against  South Africa.

It is always India  who is supposed to play in the spirit of the game,  & when other teams violate the so called spirit  then they give it the  polishing  name like  Mental disintegration,  in the laws of the cricket, part of the game, heat of the moment, umpire’s decision is final, Human error.

It is like the famous Hindi phrase :-  “ हमने   आह्ह  भी  भरी  तो   हो गए  बदनाम ... उन्होंने  क़त्ल  किया  तो चर्चा  भी नहीं  होती ....!“

Ritesh R Kadam
ritesh05@gmail.com
rityakadam@rediffmail.com
Cell:-09011020015